The Secret Trick to a Dragon Slayers Heart
by WhenLifeGivesYouLemonsandYaoi
Summary: Natsu has a secret, one he thought no-one would ever find out. He thought that it would be safe with him always, but that was before the Grand Magic Games, a Giant Dragon attack and a time traveler's bad choices showed him what he truly wanted, or should that be who. (NatsuxSting.) [Please leave reviews if you have anything to improve, or any other comments you would like to make.]
1. Chapter 1 - Hot Day, Hotter Dragon

**Disclaimer**

 **I don't own fairytail or any of the characters, i do however believe there should be waaaaaaay more HOT FUN in there ;)**

 **This will be a yaoi(boyxboy) story so don't like don't read**

 **Chapter 1 - Hot Day, Hotter Dragon**

It was a sunny day in Magnolia town. The birds were singing, the people going about their normal everyday lives, and the mages were bored out of their minds in the Fairytail guildhall.

Natsu, the hot-headed, flame-brained, resident Fire Dragon slayer of the Fairytail guild was doing his usual thing, annoying the life out of everyone in the guildhall. That was until a very disgruntled Gajeel, the grumpy resident Iron Dragon slayer, punched the annoying brat before growling at him in frustration.

"What yer so loud for Salamander, you flame-eating idiot" he said, glowering at the smaller Dragonslayer, with all his frustration rolling off of his tounge.

"I was trying to see how many of these chilies I could eat" Natsu replied with mild annoyance at being hit "since im a Fire Dragon slayer I thought that they wouldn't burn my mouth".

"Yeah, well you thought WRONG didn't you, now shut up and stop yer shouting, I don't like to be disturbed when I'm drinkin'" he said, stomping back over to the counter demanding Mirajane bring him over another beer. "Now now, Gajeel, be nice," the take-over mage said "Natsu was just trying to pass the time before Master returns from his conference". Gajeel just sulked. The Master had been at a conference for a while now, something to do with the destruction caused in Crocus by the Dragon attacks and he didn't want to have to deal with any other problems when he came back so he forbade anybody from going on a request until he returned.

After his short confrontation with Gajeel, Natsu had decided to lounge around in the sun. He had missed the guildhall, however he forgot how hot it could be in there when the weather was like it was today, and so he went outside to cool off for a bit. He lay around near the entrance to the guild, his muscular arm stretched over to cover his eyes from the bright sunlight as he dosed off. As he lay there Natsu's mind began to flicker through passed adventures. Images of his time on Galuna Island, that fight between him and Erza after coming back from the aforementioned mission, the battle on Tenrou Island and the 7-year gap which occurred because of it all flashed before him. Sometimes Natsu felt out of place with his guildmates, all those years they continued living whilst he and the rest of his group were frozen on the Island by Master Mavis' magic. Eventually Natsu's mind flicked to one specific memory, the Lullaby Flute and the last conference of Guild Masters which he interrupted.

Thinking of Gramps there with all those other Masters made Natsu think of someone very particular. A small smile formed on his lips as an image of Sting Eucliffe, the new Master of Sabertooth appeared before his covered eyes. He pictured Sting at the Grand Magic games, thinking/remembering how good he looked right before they both fought. He then got another idea which made his smile grow into a full blown grin, creeping up both sides of that adorable face which _everyone_ has to love. He suddenly thought of Sting, the hot young Guild Master of the _powerful_ Sabertooth Guild being surrounded by all the other older (and mostly creepeier) Guild Masters. Boy how Natsu would love to see Sting talking uncomfortably around all those old geezers.

Suddenly, Natsu was brought out of his daydream by the appearance of a shadow growing over him. He removed his arm and placed it behind his head as he looked up to see Gray

Fullbuster and Erza Scarlet looking down on him. "Hey guys, what's up?" he said with that grin still plastered all over his face. Erza was the first to respond, she held up a note and handed it to Natsu, "There has been a message back from the Master" she said, straight to the point as usual. Natsu went to read the note, it said;

 _Dear Erza and Mira,_

 _The conference is over now and I'm heading back, but I've sent this note on ahead to inform you of some preparations I would like you to make. I figured you two are the only_

 _one's not likely to destroy anything whilst I'm travelling and so could you please prepare a place in Magnolia for a guest. I would appreciate also if you could tell Natsu,_

 _Gray, Wendy, Gajeel, Laxus and his Thunder Legion, as well as Maccao, Levy and Wakaba to be ready for a special meeting upon my return._

 _Until then there are still not allowed to be any missions and I don't want to find the guild hall destroyed._

 _Yours Sincerely_

 _Makarov Dreyar_

 _(3rd and 6th Master)_

Natsu looked up at the two mages after finishing reading the letter, "What did he mean 'I don't want to find the guild hall destroyed" he said with a pout. Erza took the note back off of the Fire Dragon slayer and turned to enter the guild hall "I'm going to find Maccao, Levy, Wakaba and Laxus" she said walking away. Natsu watched her leave and then returned his attention above him to the Ice Mage standing before him. Gray was naked again but Natsu didn't bother pointing this out, he figured he wouldn't be telling Gray anything he probably didn't already know. Gray caught Natsu glance before looking down and speaking. "What you looking at Natsu? Something wrong with me?" Gray said looking down at himself, completely ignorant of the lack of clothes on his body. Natsu smirked. He had always known he liked guys, but being around Gray was always such a challenge for him as Natsu really didn't want people to know that he wasn't straight, and having a guy who strips every couple of minutes made it really difficult to control himself. But Natsu had never properly thought about Gray as a sex idol, he always still viewed him as a friend, a _close_ friend, but _only_ a _friend_.

Gray stopped his pointless searching and returned to looking at Natsu, whose gaze had become somewhat glassy, as though he wasn't really looking at Gray. Gray sat down next to the Dragonslayer and clicked his fingers in front of Natsu's face. The mage didn't react initially and then he suddenly burst out shouting "What do you want?!".

Gray recoiled at Natsu sudden shouting, "Hey, flame-brain, I only wanted to ask if yer were alright, you seemed a bit distracted".

Natsu looked at Gray sitting beside him and smiled his usual smile "Yeah, I'm fine".

Gray smiled, he didn't think it suited Natsu to be this withdrawn. "Good" Gray stated "Now, its hot out here so I'm heading inside, you coming Natsu" he stood up and motioned for Natsu to join him. "Nah" Natsu replied "I think I'd rather laze around out here for now".

"Fair enough" Gray said moving into the shade of the Guild hall.

Natsu resumed his position with his muscular arm covering his closed eyes. He thought about the Master's letter, _Wonder who he's bringing with him?_ Natsu thinks to himself, his mind flinging faces of possible mages at the conference which could be arriving with the old man. Natsu smiled again as a familiar image appeared before his eyes of a certain blond mage.

 _I hope it's not him_ Natsu thought _I don't know if I'll be able to control myself._

 _/_

That night Natsu was in the Guild hall arguing with Gray. "The letter mentioned a meeting with only those people on the list, it has to be" he argued fiercely.

"Don't be so stupid, Natsu" The Ice mage retorted "He isn't going to be promoting you to S-class, he would have sent us to Tenrou Island if that was going to happen".

"Humph" Natsu sighed. He really wanted to be S-class.

The Master was supposed to be arriving any minute with that _guest_ he had mentioned, and Natsu was getting impatient. He was wearing his normal attire, albeit with it cleaner than normal, whilst everyone else in the Guild had put on some more formal attire expecting an important visitor with the Master. Maccao, Levy, Wakaba, and the rest of team Shadowgear were crowded over in one corner of the guild, Levy and the two older mages discussing possibility guests which could arrive whilst Jet and Droy just stood near Levy listening to her intently. Wendy and the three exceeds, Happy, Pantherlily and Carla were around a table of their own talking and sometimes giggling. Gajeel was sulking around in his own corner of the room. After his actions earlier today, no one wanted to go near him except Mira to give him the beer he ordered. Natsu, from his place at a table on the other side of the room (Erza thought it best to separate the two Dragon slayers and ordered Natsu to sit away) Natsu could see that Gajeel occasionally glanced over to the group Levy, and now Lucy, had joined and smiled. _He sooooooo loves Levy no matter how much he denies it_ Natsu thought. Gray had come to sit near Natsu and that was when the argument had started, with Gray asking what was on Natsu's mind and Natsu replying with a quick lie about wondering about the _meeting_ the Master had stated would occur upon his return.

Although he had lied to Gray a little, in reality Natsu really was thinking about that letter, he _really_ wanted to know who the guest was that the Master was bringing. Natsu had found for a while now that every time the idea of a certain person came rushing into his mind he felt a warmth spread over his body (and then located itself to a very _specific_ part of his body). The thoughts which he had in the courtyard of the guildhall had sparked a growing anxiety in the Fire Dragon slayer. He _really_ didn't think he could cope with seeing _that_ person again after all the weird fantasy's he had been having about him.

All of a sudden Natsu was pulled out of his thoughts by Mira and Erza opening the guildhall's doors. They had been stood outside ready to great the Master and his guest. _Does that mean they're_ _here?_ Natsu thought with a great wave of anxiety washing over him.

Gray stood, fully-clothed for once, and motioned for Natsu to join the group of people anxiously waiting at the entrance of the guildhall. In front of this group was the people the Master had requested to see; Laxus Dreyar, Freed Justine, Evergreen and Bickslow all clustered at the far right from the place where Natsu joined. Beside Natsu there was Maccao and Wakaba, who looked a little apprehensive, with all their guesses they still didn't have a clue who the guest might be. Beyond them was Levy, with her entourage standing a few paces behind her and finally there was Wendy with Carla and Gajeel with Pantherlily standing at the center of the welcoming party. Happy flew over to Natsu and landed on his shoulder. "Natsu, are you okay?" the blue fuzzball asked his partner and dear friend with all the concern bubbling up in his eyes "It's just Gray thought you seemed off and from seeing you now you look a little worried". Natsu looked at his partner and began to feel a little bit of sadness pang in him for causing his partner to worry. "Don't worry Happy, I'm fine, just a little bored is all" he said putting on his best smile "I really want to go on a job and get back to work".

Happy look at Natsu before smiling "Aye, sir" he says before returning his partners smile with one of his own.

Happy flew up to hover above Natsu as Erza and Mirajane motioned for everyone to be quiet.

Behind them the Master of Fairytail and another person stepped forward. "It's nice to see all of you getting along and taking the time to greet us" the Master said with a smile on his wizened face.

Then all eyes turned to the all to familiar stranger.

 _Oh, crap_ was all Natsu could think, as the powerful blond mage stepped forward.

"It's great to see you all again" Sting said with a smile.

 **End of Chapter 1**

 **Authors** **Note;**

 **Hey Guys, this is my first fic so be gentle. Also any constructive criticism would be most appreciated. Also, i'm thinking about doing most of my fics in character POV, this was just to set the scene in a general POV. I know that the story may not be great right now, but you can still read on and see if you think it gets any better.**


	2. Chapter 2 - An Awkward Dragon

**Chapter 2 - An Awkward Dragon**

 **Sting POV**

I walked into the Fairytail guild hall, my heart pounding in my chest. _What if they hate me?_ I think to myself _I did after all insult and injure them at the Grand Magic Games_. I decide to just put on my best smile and at least try to keep some element of civility should anyone act with hostility towards me, I was, after all, here on the orders of the Magic Council.

I stop my fretting as I step forwards to stand beside my fellow Guild master Makarov. "It's great to see you all again" I say forcing a smile upon my face.

I hold up my hand behind my head as Makarov speaks up. "Hello everyone, we have a guest staying in Magnolia" he gestures to me and I try my best to keep up my smile and air of confidence. "I'm sure you all remember him from the games, however he is Sabertooth's new Guild master, so I don't want any offensive actions because of the past". I simply continue my grinning.

"Now, down to business, the reason Master Sting is staying with us is that the Magic Council, after seeing the devastation caused by the dragons after the Eclipse Gate incident, has decided to ensure that all guilds which it sees as a possible threat to 'law' and 'order' are to be supervised for one week by the Master of another guild. This is to ensure each guild, especially those of us with Dragon Slayers" Makarov says eyeing both Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy, my fellow Dragon Slayers, "is making the necessary precautions in order to prevent any further destruction by magic whilst Crocus and the rest of Magnolia recovers".

I then decide to speak up. I take a step towards the assembled Fairytail mages before me, saying "I must be quite honest, although I myself am a Dragon Slayer, and so one of the targets for the Magic Council, I'm here to observe your mages in Fairytail to see that everything is running smoothly". This earned me a small muttering from those assembled. "Don't worry, just don't destroy anything _too_ important and I _will_ pass you" I gave them a small wink to reassure them of my intentions.

Makarov then chose to speak up again, "Sting will be accompanying each of you" he gestured at the group standing further forward "on missions and just around town in general, just be good and he won't fail us" he made a quick inhalation of breath before bellowing "Now that's all, so let's go and celebrate the return of Fairytail as the Number One guild in Fiore!". This last speech earned a cheer as everyone one immediately went to drinking and reveling.

As soon as everyone had dispersed I let out a small, silent sigh, _I'm gonna have to make sure that I don't have to fail them_.

 _Or else he'll never like me forgive me properly._

It was after the party that I left the guild hall. For most of my time there I just stuck close to the entrance and talked with anyone who approached me. The only real conversation I had was with Mirajane Strauss and Erza Scarlet, who both approached me after seeing that I wasn't getting that involved with the rest of their guildmates. When they both approached me together, the two most fearsome women in Fairytail, I was overcome with a great sense of dread. Despite all my worrying all they did was politely enquire if anything was wrong, subtly looking for my opinion of the party and the guild. Erza then began asking me questions about my new life as a guild master and I quickly became more openly friendly, replying to her questions with a little excitement. _I still can't believe I'm a guild master._

When they left and after I had inwardly calmed down I began to mingle a bit more with my fellow wizards. I chatted with Gray, debating his magic and Rufus', and I also had a brief run-in with Gajeel and Wendy, talking to them about our shared history, however they both had to see to other matters, Wendy to the exceeds and Gajeel to that girl with the letter magic, Levy I believe her name is. Despite my relatively pleasant conversations with the two Dragon Slayers, I couldn't find Natsu anywhere. And I really wanted to talk to him too.

However, despite my best attempts I couldn't locate Natsu anywhere, which was odd considering how loud and annoying he could be. _Oh well_ I think leaving the guild hall that night _, I do have to spend at least one mission with him so I will get to see him sometime_.

/

 **Natsu POV**

After the party had begun I walked over to the stairs and went up. I could bare to get near to Sting. It was bad enough having to control myself after that big grin spread across his adorable face when he re-introduced himself to the guild, I doubt I could even be able to hold a conversation with him. I subtly watched his actions from my perch above, secretly enjoying the opportunity to study the man who had been plaguing my thoughts and fantasies since the Grand Magic Games. I saw how unsure he looked, despite his usually confident appearance, I also saw Erza and Mira approaching him. I knew they wouldn't do anything to him since the Master told us about the situation, however I don't think _he_ realized this. His face was even hot when he looked like he might collapse out of fear. I couldn't help but smile a bit.

After a short burst of conversation and the evident relief on Sting's face, Erza and Mirajane left him. He scanned around the guild hall evidently looking for someone to talk to. Then I saw as he went over to Gray and began starting up another conversation. From my position higher up and even with my advanced hearing due to my innate Dragon Slayer instincts I could only catch the briefest snippets of dialog between my friend and my new blonde obsession. From what I heard I could tell they were talking about Maker Magic. _Must be talking about that wierdo with the funny feathered hat_ I think to myself with a little jealousy rising in the pit of my stomach as Gray was able to chat to Sting without any of the fear and distracting thoughts like I had.

Once Sting was finished talking with Gray I saw him move over to where Wendy and Gajeel were sitting. Wendy had gone over to talk to Pantherlily with the other two exceeds in tow, and Gajeel was just slurping noisily from a near-empty beer flagon. Sting approached the pair with a slight air of caution, which was quickly dismissed as Wendy offered him a friendly greeting and kicked Gajeel's leg to get him to engage with the pleasantries. Much to my amusement Gajeel complied and grunted a quick 'hello'. Another pang of jealousy surged through me as again I realized that both of the other Dragon Slayers could also talked to and be near Sting without any inappropriate images flashing through their minds. _Damn it!_

Again, once the conversation ended Sting began another sweep of the room. This time, however, it was different. Whilst the first couple of times Sting just seemed to be looking for anyone to talk to, this time he _seems_ to be looking for someone in particular. At that thought I felt a quick fluttering feeling erupt from my stomach and quickly well up in my chest before I pushed it back down. _He isn't going to like me like that_ I think to myself to help lessen the overwhelming feeling _and he isn't looking for me_.

I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts about the blonde by a little blue exceed floating up to me and patting me on the head.

"Natsuuuu..." Happy said "Why aren't you down at the party?" the exceed inquired.

"Maybe I don't wanna party" I respond half-heartedly.

"But Natsu" Happy began "It's a party, and you _love_ parties"

"I said I don't wanna, Happy" I grunt.

"Are you sure you're okay Natsu? You seemed a bit down earlier today and NOW you say you DON'T want to party". I sigh.

"I just don't think I want to be down there right now" I say to my best friend in the world "I don't think I could handle it".

Happy cocked his head a little and then looked deep into my eyes. He opens his mouth to speak but then shakes his head, he knows me

too well, he knows that I'm not gonna tell him what's bugging me, so he just floats back down to the ground floor and tries to

re-engage with the party. I wince a little at the worried expression he pulls as he looks back up at me one final time.

 _Damn it, I'm really sorry Happy but I can't face Sting yet without knowing the best way to deal with what I feel._

Later on, after my encounter with Happy, I saw Sting leave the guildhall. He passed on his thanks for a great evening to the Master (who I'm pretty sure was too drunk to tell who he was speaking to) and then left. Saying his 'goodbyes' and 'goodnights' to Mira and Erza who greeted him at the entrance on his way to leave.

Seeing the blonde White Dragon Slayer all night had been quite a pleasant experience for me, well, expect for the occasional pangs of regret and jealousy at not being able to talk to him. _Well, it's for the best_ I think to myself _He isn't going to be interested in me so why should I even try_. Although, I had never heard about a 'girlfriend' or even _someone_ who he was interested in, I really didn't think that Sting was into guys. _And I don't believe all of those stories about him seeing Rogue_.

I let out a large sigh.

"What ya sighin' about there, buddy" I hear a voice behind me.

I jump to face the source of the voice, but then relax as I see that it is only Gray. "Nothin'" was all I said to him.

"Well, something must be wrong Natsu, you haven't come down from here since the beginning, and don't say that you have because I've been watching you and you haven't budged one centimeter from that spot".

I look him in the eye, briefly showing anger in my own eyes, before turning away, the anger fading once again into self-pity and regret. I can't even let myself speak for fear of my voice breaking or giving away my secret so I just stay quiet.

"Seriously, what's wrong, flame-brain" I hear Gray ask me, genuine concern in his voice. Despite the fact that Gray and I were rivals he still cared for me, even if it was just a little bit.

I finally build up enough courage to speak, trusting that my voice would not fail me. "I've got a bit of a problem".

Gray looks me up and down for a second then replies, "You're not injured or anything, are you?".

"Nah, it's not that..." I say, wavering a bit. I couldn't tell Gray about my thoughts, especially not the night-time ones.

"Well you've obviously got something weighing you down, Natsu, so if you just tell me then, maybe, I can help you. You cinder-head". I look solemnly at Gray. No matter how much I want to tell him, I just can't. "I can't tell you" is all I state.

"Why not?"

"It's too personal..."

"Fine, fine. If you're not gonna tell me at least could you sort something out, we can't have you all depressed when the guilds under inspection". At that Gray stood and went to the now significantly quieter ground floor. Half of Fairytail must have passed out.

Suddenly something occurred to me. If we were under inspection and the Master had said that the selected wizards, of which I was one, were to goon missions with Sting observing, then at some point I would HAVE to be at least close to sting for a while. That thought filled me with both a touch of joy at getting to be close to Sting, and absolute DREAD as I would be close to Sting without the ability to control myself.

 _Damn it... Things are just getting better and better_

 _/_

 **Happy POV**

Seeing Natsu so unhappy was unbearable. But I know him, and he isn't gonna tell anyone, best just leave him to deal with it. For now.

I floated over to Gray, softly landing on the table in front of him. "Gray" I say, almost in a whisper, "Do you know what's wrong with Natsu, it's just he seems a bit down".

Gray looked at me and then up at Natsu. "Yeah, I've been watching him since the beginning of this party and he hasn't moved an inch. Something is bugging the idiot and I bet he won't tell anyone what it is".

"Yeah, he just practically ignored me before". Gray seemed a little startled by this, he thought Natsu told me everything I guess.

"I'll go see him later" Gray says before getting up to go over to Lucy, who had been gesturing for him to come over.

 _I wonder what's bothering Natsu so badly he wouldn't tell me_ I thought grimly.

/

 **General POV**

It was late into the night when Natsu, carrying a sleeping Happy in his arms, stepped out of the guild hall. Everything had definitely quieted down as half of Fairytail was out cold from near-death by inebriation, and the remaining half, predominantly consisting of Lucy, Erza, Gray and few others, were tending to their comatose partners.

Natsu walked through the streets of Magnolia quickly, the night chill enhanced by his unnaturally high body temperature. Through his mind ran everything he had seen tonight, plus a few images of Sting in VERY interesting situations. He didn't pay much attention until he bumped into on the very quiet street. Someone with blonde hair.

 **End of Chapter 2**


	3. Chapter 3 - A Secret Shared

**Chapter 3- A Secret Shared**

 **Natsu POV**

I held my breath as the blonde mage I bumped into turned...

Luckily it was only Lucy.

"What you doing here Natsu?" she inquired. I let a small sigh of relief out, making sure it went unnoticed by the Celestial wizard.

"I'm just going home" I say, "Happy was too tired to continue at the guildhall so I'm carrying him back with me, I thought you were still at the party".

"Nah" she replies "I couldn't handle looking after those guys all night, so I quickly ducked out to avoid being roped into helping further by Erza".

"So Erza doesn't know that you left?" I answer, a quizzical look forming on my face, "Won't she be pissed to find you gone without helping the others".

"Damn it, I didn't think of that" Lucy said, her voice revealing the sheer terror at making Erza mad, "I'd better go home and go to bed, I'm gonna have a lot of lying to do tomorrow" she says, abruptly turning and heading in the direction of her apartment.

I hear her scheming, running through possible lies she could use like she 'didn't feel well and had to go lie down' and also 'I had to make a new contract with a new spirit'. She was so dead tomorrow.

"Huh" I say watching her leave "And they say _I'm_ the idiot, even I know not to make Erza pissed when there's been a party".

The walk back was pretty uneventful. I made sure I paid more attention to my surroundings, I had been lucky the first incident had only been Lucy, if it _had_ been Sting I have absolutely no idea what I would have done. _I'm sure I could've made up an excuse to avoid any prolonged interaction_ I think to myself.

Happy stirred in my arms, nuzzling closer to my chest as I continued onto the path out of Magnolia and back to our house.

I loved the forest at night, all the quiet sounds of creatures big and small either waking up to go about their night-time lives or going to sleep in some cozy little home of their own. The quiet sounds helped my mind to ease up a bit. The constant worry about what I would do should Sting and I somehow bump into each other could not be good for my health, either physically by stress, or mentally.

Once I reached the house I nudged the unlocked door with my elbow and went indoors, closing the door again with my foot. Me and Happy never bothered to lock the door, our house was too out-of-the-way all the way in the forest so we didn't have to worry about someone breaking in, and I never have to worry about intruders as I'm pretty sure that they would quickly regret their actions should they break into _my_ house.

I went upstairs and placed Happy on the bed, covering the little exceed with the blanket. He curled up almost instantly, and went into an even deeper slumber as the small mutterings he had been making quieted down to nothing but the sound of his breathing. I watched my exceed partner sleep, and I too felt fatigue begin to tug at my eyes, lulling me to lie down beside Happy. I felt sorry for worrying him earlier, but I was just not ready to tell him yet.

 _I don't think I'll ever be ready_ I think as my eyes drift closed and my mind wanders into the realms of sleep and dreams.

/

 **Sting POV**

After leaving the guildhall and the rowdy noise inside I went to the nearby inn that Mirajane had already paid for. I went up the stairs and into the room, it was small, but pleasant enough. I lay on the bed thinking about everything which had happened recently, the Grand Magic Games, the fight between myself, Rogue, Natsu and Gajeel, even the Eclipse Gate and the Dragons. Through all that one feeling, one idea, had not left me, _I actually got to meet Natsu Dragneel, My Hero and Idol_.

The great sense of anger I felt at the disappearance of Natsu and the diminishment of the Fairytail guild all those years ago had all disappeared on that first day of the Games, when Natsu and his team entered the arena. Although I put on that act of hatred, in truth all I felt was pure joy at getting to see my idol. This joy absolutely overcame me when I got the opportunity to actually go toe to toe with him too. Ever since that day all I had thought about was Natsu, even when I was asleep I still dreamed of him.

"I really need to make sure he likes me" I say to the empty room, "I _really_ want to become proper friends with him, he is still my idol even after all that time".

The next day was a lot more interesting for me. After the events of last night, I decided to get to the guild bright and early, hoping to either get there before Natsu, so I could prepare some sort of context for us to be alone together and then I could properly talk to him one on one, or to get there at the same time as him so that he couldn't escape from the confrontation.

As I entered the guildhall Laxus and a few of the others were there already drinking their morning coffee and looking at requests on the request board. Laxus saw me arrive and began coming to intercept me on my way to speak to Mirajane. "Gramps says that me, Bickslow, Freed and Ever are gonna go on a mission he picked for us and that he requests you come along to view us for this 'observation' thing".

I look up at Laxus and see the other three mages coming over to me as well. _Seems I'm cornered on this one_ I think solemnly _Looks like I won't get to see Natsu yet_. "Makarov must want me to begin as soon as possible to make this inspection finish as quickly as possible, I can understand his nervousness but he should know that I will most likely pass Fairytail" I say so as not to get too caught up in my thoughts and to avoid looking like I might be trying to make up an excuse as to why I can't go. "Gramps, just wants things to get back to normal without too much fuss, do you want to go with us now, or should we wait for a bit?" Laxus asks me. He seems to be a bit bored of waiting and I figure that the more of these 'observations' I get done, the quicker I'll get to see Natsu.

"Fine, fine, just let me get a coffee and then we can go". Laxus smiles as Freed comes up carrying a coffee in his hand. He offers me it saying "We figured you'd want a coffee so we got you one before, it should be the way you like it, I used the Bio page from Sorcerer Weekly that they made on you after you became a Guild master to gauge how you take your coffee." I take the offered coffee and take a small sip, "It's absolutely perfect!" I say with a greater amount of surprise showing on my face than I'd like there to be.

"Right" Laxus says, a small smile forming on his face, "Let's go".

/

 **Some Time Later...**

The job itself was not that difficult, all it says was for Laxus and the other three to defeat some relatively fierce monster with a serious case of bad breath that had been terrorizing a small town near to Magnolia. Unfortunately for me (and Laxus) the town was in the middle of a particularly rugged and craggy wasteland which was only accessible by train. As me and Laxus both realized this we both suddenly decided to try to take a walk, however Freed and Bickslow were ready for this and blocked our escape. So for an hour or two (I really wasn't paying too much attention to the time) me and Laxus, the great and almighty Dragon Slayers, were left blubbering in our own little motion-sickness induced hell.

Although the travelling part of our journey was pretty bad there was one amusing thing, the sight of the 'Great' Laxus, Lightning Dragon Slayer of Fairytail, on his knees, more sick and pained than I had ever seen him be during the Grand Magic Games. Unfortunately, he wasn't as bad as me and he(i) didn't black out for half the trip.

By the time we reached the town I really wasn't in the mood for a long fight, and neither was Laxus it seems as no more than an hour or so later we were back on the train ride back. The fight itself being incredibly easy for mages with powers such as these four. I had, for most of the fight myself, not gotten involved, as per the rules of the inspection. I did throw a few punches at the creature when it's ugly head reared in my direction, however no other interaction with the mission was allowed, except in life threatening situations.

This then meant I was back in Fairytail by mid-afternoon and this was where I finally saw Natsu.

/

 **Natsu POV (in the morning)**

After the fear bubbling up yesterday I knew I would _have_ to figure out some way of me being at least some-what comfortable around Sting, I was, after all, going to be on a mission with him, most likely alone. I got to the guildhall a little later than I would normally, but after being up so late last night, what with the party and everything, I didn't wake up until sometime around 10 AM.

When I entered the guildhall I immediately went to the request board to look for a job. I realized this morning that if I went on a job I could prolong the time before I would have to be with Sting and so could have extra time to figure things out. Unfortunately, however, there wasn't that many jobs available as it seems that most of the good, or even mediocre, ones had already been taken by other members. _Everyone must be so desperate to go on jobs since the games are over and everything is becoming more like what it was_ I think to myself.

I saw a job further along the board, 'Help Needed' it read in big, bold letters. Underneath them it had a picture of a big monster and the reward was decent enough. I figured I would go and deal with this monster (and try to avoid Sting in the process), however I was stopped suddenly by Erza, who appeared behind me silently despite all her armor. "Where do you think your off to Natsu?" she inquires with a skeptical glance at the request flyer in my hands. "I wanna go on a job" I reply, stating the obvious.

"The Master has said that you aren't to go on any jobs except the one he'll give you for the inspection, so for now your confined to the guild and Magnolia" she says, taking the flyer out of my hands.

I huff, however she is definitely adamant, and I'm not going to bother arguing with a brick (or with all that armor, Iron) wall. "Fine" I say defeated before stomping off to one of the many empty tables.

Mira sees me and comes over. "Hi Natsu, how's your morning?" she asks politely.

"Well, I was gonna go on a job for the first time in forever, but Erza says Gramps said I can't",

"Natsu, you know that the inspection will only be for a few days, just wait until it's your turn to go on an inspection, successfully complete the job and _then_ you can go on any other job you want, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Can I get a glass of water?"

"Sure, do you want anything else?"

"Nah, the water's fine, thanks" I say, watching as she moves away to fulfill my request. I then notice Erza standing watch by the request

board. "Hmph, she isn't gonna let me go anywhere without her knowing about it, is she?".

It's then that I notice Lucy walk into the guild, eyes still sleepy despite the time. "Well, at least there should be something to amuse me if I'm stuck here" I say to myself, grinning as Erza makes her way over to Lucy whilst still keeping an eye on me.

/

Later that day I heard the rabble of noise as the Thunder Legion, and their oh-so-powerful leader Laxus, returned from the mission the Master had sent them on. _Oh No_ I think as I begin to silently panic as the realization dawns on me that Sting would also have returned. The Master had sent him with Laxus first in an effort to ensure that the first impressions of the guild's missions was a good one.

That comment earlier today had sent me on my own little rant, however even I could not deny the relief I felt knowing that I wasn't the first to be judged by Sting _or that I had been first to be left alone with him_.

I watched with mounting dread as the voices neared the guildhall. It was then that Lisanna appeared at my shoulder, tapping me to get me to turn around and face her. I turn, trying my best to hide the fear growing in my chest. "The Master says he wants to speak to you, Natsu" she says, smiling. I relax knowing she's here. "He's his office, right?" I ask, thankful for the quick distraction from the immediate problem I was facing. "Yeah, sure he is, he _always_ is, Natsu".

I smile back at her, "Thanks Lisanna" I shout running towards the stairs to the office.

I take a minute to compose myself, not something I would normally do before entering the Master's office. I knocked and heard the casual "Come in" echo from inside the room. As I enter I hear the Master chirp up, "Oh, hello Natsu, are you sure you're alright?".

"Yeah, why? Does something look wrong?" I ask him, worrying that he may have seen past the smile I put on upon entering.

"No, no, it's not that you don't _look_ alright, it's just that you _actually_ knocked before entering. When I sent Lisanna to find you I expected you to just burst in a few minutes later, Heh Heh" He said, laughing a little.

I just sighed, "I can be...oh what's the word, you know NOT-rude".

"Mindful?"

"Yeah, that's the one, if that means that I don't just barge in, and DON'T talk over people"

"That it does, my boy. Now, the reason I ask for you was this, I want you, tomorrow, to go on this job" he gestured at a job request flyer on his desk, in between a pile of paperwork from the Magic Council.

"Okay!" I say, beaming with happiness, "I wanted to go on a job earlier but Erza wouldn't let me".

"Well you get to go on one now, with Sting".

 _Oh Crap!_ _I can't go on a job with him_. _At least not yet anyway, not until I've worked some of these 'things' out._

"I've got to go on a job with _him_ " I say, trying to show more anger than fear in my voice.

"Now, now Natsu, settle down, ignore the past and just do this job well, it's not difficult and then you can go and do _any_ other job you want afterwards."

"But… I..." I start stammering.

"Just behave for the inspection because this is IMPORTANT" he scowls after his scolding. "Go and tell Sting that you will be going tomorrow, and, if he isn't too busy, could I speak to him now".

I scowl back at him, but I am met with a powerful glare. "OUT!" he shouts.

I comply, leaving the office and then resting my back against the wall beside the door, after closing the door. I slam my hand against the wall a couple of times, before finally deciding. _I'm just gonna have to talk to him._

 _/_

 **Sting POV**

I saw Natsu coming down the stairs. I guess he just had a meeting with Makarov, based on how sad his face was. I saw him look to the entrance and for one brief moment our eyes locked. He then put on a smile and walked over to us, all the sadness he seemed to be experiencing a moment ago just seemed to vanished. I smile back as he walked up to me, _Finally_ My mind screams in pure joy. _Finally, I get to talk to him._

The Fire Dragon Slayer walked up to me and spoke. "Gramps says that tomorrow we've got to go on a mission, oh and he wants to talk to you now, if it's convenient." My smile lessens slightly as I watch Natsu continue on past me, not bothering to wait for my reply. "Wait", I shout after him. He froze in his tracks but he didn't turn around. _I knew it, he still doesn't trust me, I knew he wouldn't, even after what he said at the ball after the Grand Magic Games_. "If we've got to go on a job" I say as I notice him getting ready to move again, "What's the details?"

"I'll tell ya tomorrow" he says before walking off.

 _Oh well_ I think, watching him walk away, _I'll get to see him tomorrow, it'll be fine_.

After that brief encounter with Natsu, I headed for the Guild Master's office.

Upon reaching the door, I knocked and waited for permission to enter. Upon hearing the welcoming tone, I walk into the office and close the door behind me. "Good afternoon, Master Makarov" I say, trying to remain as friendly as possible, despite the fact that I was really terrified of the powerful wizard.

"Good afternoon, Master Sting" he replies, a touch of joviality in his voice, _Parroting me, eh_. "I just thought I'd let you know, that you will be going on a job tomorrow with Natsu, if that's okay with you?".

"Yeah, I know, Natsu told me" I reply.

"Good. Did Natsu tell you the details?" he asks. I just shake my head in reply. "Fine, the flyers on the desk there" he gestures to a large pile of paperwork, in between which was a request flyer.

I quickly scan over the contents of the flyer. It seems like a pretty routine job, just taking out some bandits, who've gotten their hands on a couple of potentially dangerous magical artefacts. "This seems easy enough" I state, once I've read the flyer.

"Yeah, I figured that it's best if I give them jobs which won't put you(i) in too much danger. Don't want an incident or anything".

I laugh a little, "You do know I can handle myself, my fellow _master_ ". I emphasize that last word to try to show my power as another Guild Master myself.

"It's always better to play it on the safe side, especially between guilds with history such as ours".

I look down to the little man on the chair before me, "I know what our _past_ has been like, however I really want to change Sabertooth into a guild more like this one".

"That's good to hear, now, is there anything else you want that we can get you?" he asks, a friendly smile showing on his face.

"No, everything's perfect, even the inn your guild wizards paid so kindly for".

"Heh Heh, it's good to know that you're comfortable then"

"Yeah, and the party last night was pretty good too" I add leaving.

"Good day, Master Sting"

"You too, Master Makarov".

As I leave the room another idea springs to my mid. _Now, let's see if I can find Natsu_.

/

 **Natsu POV**

After speaking to Sting, I went for a walk around Magnolia. "A good walk should help to clear my head" I say to myself, heading towards the market area. I like the markets, all the food, and the foreign smells, and the interesting people. And the food.

Whilst observing the wide array of delectable-looking fruits in one stall, I hear a cry.

"Natsuuuuuu...".

It was Happy.

"Hey, little buddy, what are you here for, I thought you were going to the guild. I'm sorry if I worried you when I wasn't there this morning, but I _did_ leave a note".

"Natsu, I'm old enough now to be in the house by myself. No, the reason I'm here is that I'm looking for Lisanna."

"Why'd you need to go find her?" I ask politely.

"Mira asked me to tell her that whilst she's buying groceries in the market, could she also remember to buy some needles and thread. Apparently she needs 'em to patch up some of Elfman's clothes".

I give my little buddy a big grin. "Let's go find her together then".

"Aye, sir".

After about five minutes I find Lisanna at a vegetable stall with a bag of groceries in her hand. I had used my heightened sense of smell to pinpoint her location in no time. Me and Happy ran (and flew) up to her shouting to get her attention despite the crowd of onlookers.

"Natsu, Happy, what's the hurry?" she asks once we finally reach her.

Happy was the first to reply. "Mira asked me to find you. She says 'can you please get her some needles and thread'".

"Oh, yeah, I can get her some. Let me guess, It's for Elfman".

"That's right", Happy gave her a big grin.

"If I go get big sis some sewing stuff, can you bring these groceries back to the guild, Natsu?"

I look at her bag, "Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem".

"Thanks Natsu" and with that she ran off, handing me the bag as she went.

Seeing Lisanna's smiling face I begin to wonder, _could I tell her about my secret?_

 _/_

 **About an hour later**

After the short conversation I had with Lisanna in the market I had one idea running around inside my mind, _could I really tell her about my secret_? _or would she just laugh and ignore me?_

I knew I would have to tell somebody, these feelings I was experiencing had been plaguing me for a while now and I would just go _crazy_ if I told no-one.

So, after giving Mira the groceries, I waited for Lisanna. I mean, if anyone(i) would accept this, it would have to be her. The girl I grew up with and played house with all those years ago.

Upon seeing her return from her shopping my stomach fluttered with a mixture of excitement and fear, wondering what she would say if I told her I liked Sting.

She walked over to Mira and gave her a box of supplies and then came over to me. "Thanks for that Natsu, it was waaaay quicker for me to get that stuff for Mira without having to lug those heavy groceries around as well".

"No problem Lisanna, I'm always happy to help".

"Good to hear" she turned, as she saw Elfman enter the guildhall.

"Um, I've got to go speak to big brother, see you later Natsu, and thanks again for the help" she said cheerily.

"Err... your welcome, again... but Lisanna...could I speak to you in private, later" I stuttered.

She stopped in her tracks. "What's wrong Natsu?".

"Nothing you need to worry about, but can I speak to you later?"

"Yeah, but if something's bothering you, you can always tell your friends. I'm sure Lucy, Gray, Happy, or even Erza, would be happy to listen if you needed to talk about something".

"Hmmm... Yeah your right, thanks Lisanna"

"Your welcome Natsu. Is it okay if I come round to your house later for that talk?"

"Yeah... sure" I say.

/

Sure enough, at around 4PM, Lisanna arrived at mine and Happy's shared abode in the forest. I had sent Happy around to Wendy and Carla's place earlier as I _really_ wanted to be alone for this conversation. I heard her knock lightly on the door and I shouted "It's open", giving her permission to enter.

"Natsu, you should really clean this place up, you know. I mean, I know we were frozen on that Island for a few years but that's no excuse for you keeping this place in the state it's in."

"Lisanna, the condition of my house was NOT why I asked you to come here"

"Oh really Natsu, so what _is_ the problem then?" she asks.

I direct her to the small sitting area and sit down on the only sofa. She sits next to me and lies back into the comfortable cushion. "This could be a really nice place to live, if you removed the plants growing out of the walls outside, and cleaned up some of the rubbish you have piled about" she says, prodding a pile of old clothes me and Happy have left by the side of the sofa.

"Lisanna, look, I've got something that's been bugging me for a while now" I say, trying to draw her attention from the pile and the house in general.

"What's the problem Natsu?" she says, concern evident in the eyes now locked onto me. "Is there something bad you don't want to talk about?"

"W-well... y-y-yes and n-no" I begin stammering, unable to focus my words into one coherent sentence. _Oh, how do I put this?_

"Spit it out Natsu, I promise I'll do my best to help you" she says reassuringly, her smile full of comfort.

"R-right...w-well, you see I've known for a while that I've... sort of... liked this person, I mean, I can't stop thinking about them AND every time I close my eyes I picture them...sooooo..."

"Okaaay..." she says, trying to urge me to speak more, "So, what's the problem? Have you told them?"

"No... I've only known them a short while"

"Sooo... It's not Lucy, or Erza... or me?"

"No... i'm sorry, it's not any of them... or you" I say. A bit of sadness twinges in me. _All the people she listed there were female._

Looks like she thinks I'm straight I think solemnly _This is making it harder_.

"You see... I don't know how to put this..."

"Natsu, you should just tell this person and see how it goes. Maybe they might feel the same. Even if they don't at least you'll know and then you can focus on finding someone which _is_ right for you and _does_ like you too".

"Hmmm... Maybe I should tell them"

"You see, this may be a bit...um... awkward, but at least you will be move on"

"Wow... um... Thanks Lisanna that was really quite helpful"

"Any time, Natsu. If you do tell them, and they do feel the same, then will you tell me who it is?"

"Sure" I reply, a new idea forming in me, confidence returning thanks to Lisanna's reassuring words.

"Now" she says "Let's try and smarten this place up a bit".

"Ummm... Lisanna, this isn't _your_ house, you know?"

"That doesn't mean I can't help _you_ tidy up"

I groan, Lisanna could be real annoying sometimes.

/

 **That Night**

Lisanna left _my_ house at around 6PM, after 2 hours of an insane tidying frenzy she finally left smiling at the work she had done on my house.

Happy returned at about 7 and we began cooking dinner in the newly cleaned kitchen about ten minutes later, were both super hungry. As we sat and ate our separate meals, me with a nice, juicy steak I bought at the market and Happy with his fish (what else would he eat), I began thinking about Lisanna's words. _Maybe I should just tell Sting I like him_?

Happy caught my vacant gaze and prodded me. "Natsuuuu..." he whined. I stop and look up at my little blue exceed partner. _I wonder..._

 _If Lisanna was positive about me telling him, maybe Happy will be too_

"Natsuuu..." I hear him whine again.

"Yes, what is it Happy? Is there something wrong with your fish?" I ask, although I already know what he's actually worrying about. "No, it's not that, it's _you_ " he says with a note of concern, again a pang of guilt passed through me as I realized my neglecting of my best buddy was resulting in him worrying about me needlessly. He continues speaking, taking a large bite out of his fish as he does so. "Natsu, something's obviously bugging you, why won't you just tell me?".

The worry and concern in his eyes hits me deeply. _I can't keep lying to him about everything being alright when he already knows something's up._

 _I'm gonna have to tell him_.

I put my knife and fork down on my plate and look Happy in his big, adorable eyes. "Fine, Happy, I'll tell you what's up"

"Really?" Happy sounds unsure.

"Really. Just so long as you don't tell ANYBODY about what is said here. Right now."

"Aye, Natsu, I won't" he seems determined. I check one last time.

"I mean it Happy. No-one can know. No-one in the guild. Not Erza, or Lucy, or Gray, or Lisanna, or Gramps. Not ANYBODY"

"I said I won't tell anyone, so I won't" he says. I'm touched by my friend's firm trust and loyalty.

"Right...um... well... You see, I kinda like somebody..."

"Is it somebody I know?" he inquires.

"Yes it is, kind of... but well it's not that I like somebody that's been bugging me"

"So what HAS been bugging you"

"W-well... you see..."

"Just tell me Natsu, I'm your best friend after all...". He shoots me a smile, in an effort to reassure me.

"Well... I kinda like...a... guy" I say, my voice getting near to silent in its lowering tones.

"Wait... so your..."

"Yeah..."

"So your gay? THAT's what's been bugging you recently"

"Yeah..." I calm down internally seeing Happy's eyes suddenly fill with realization. _Well, he knows now, there's no going back._

"Natsu, how long have you like this person? And how long have you known your...?" he trails off.

"Well, to answer your first question, a few months now, and as for the second I've known for a little bit before that, do you have a problem with this?" I inquire, a little worry rising in my throat.

"No, of course I don't, Natsu, you're my friend and I support you no matter what".

"Thanks Happy" I say, my face the picture of relief. He actually accepts it, and with no real hesitaion either.

"Sooo... Natsu, who's the guy?"

"Well... it's kinda... Sting"

 **End of Chapter 3**

 **Author's Note;**

Please leave a review if you think this could be improved. Criticism will help to hone my abilities as a writer. And thanks for the views


	4. Chapter 4 - Job of the Heart

**Chapter 4 - Job of the Heart**

 **Natsu POV**

I hear the words just slip out of my mouth. Realising what I was saying only at the last minute. "Well... it's kinda... Sting" I say. _No use stopping now_ I think, _He'll want to know everything, and I'll have to tell him eventually, so why not tell him now?_

I look down to see my little blue partner take in this new information. "Oooookaaaay..." he says, staying quiet for a few minutes, his brain still processing the fact that I liked not only another guy, but also that the guy was the Master of another guild, AND that he was the guy I had been rivals with throughout the whole of the Grand Magic Games. After a few more minutes my buddy spoke again. "Well... that's a... _surprise_. But really Natsu, why were you so worried about telling me this? I mean, I _am_ your best friend right, and I know he might be from another guild and all but you still coulda told me this before now. I always would've accepted this."

I look my partner in the eyes, seeing the fierce determination in them. He really does accept me fully and _truly_ I think as growing elation forms in my chest.

Happy sees my sudden brightening-up and pats me on the shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Natsu..." he says friendly "I _definitely_ won't tell anybody in the guild anything about this or that person. I know that this is something you've gotta decide for yourself so, whether you want to tell people or not, I'll support you".

At that he hops off of the table, done with his dinner of fish, and heads off towards the couch. "I'd eat up, mister, you're going on a mission tomorrow with Sting, remember. Just because you like him it doesn't give you an excuse to shrug off your other jobs" he says from a slightly battered-looking cushion. A smile plays on my lips; it was amusing to see Happy acting so mature.

/

After dinner, I sat down next to Happy and he made some more inquiries into the thoughts I'd been having about Sting. Making sure to censor some of the information I gave my young friend (especially around the fantasy's I'd been having) I told him about my first seeing Sting at the Games. The way I felt just seeing him that one time, and how I felt having to fight him. I debated about telling Happy about the feelings I had fighting future Rogue, but decided that he may be able to help me better if I told him the truth.

"You see, Happy" I say to my now slightly drowsy partner, "when I heard about what happened to Sting in the future... about him dying at Rogue's hand... I just couldn't take it. I think that was when I realized that I actually loved the guy, as opposed to simply idolizing him as a fellow Dragon Slayer".

Happy snaps awake hearing this and looks at me with a sudden realization of what it must have truly been like for me to have learned that information. "Oh, Natsu..." he says, a slight amount of pity showing in his voice. This pity did not last, however, as it soon changed to more determination in his next statement. "I'm _soooo_ gonna help you two get together".

"You don't need to do anything like that, Happy" I say. The idea of Happy getting involved in _my_ love life just seems _too weird_ for me. I mean, he may be acting mature at this very moment, but it is _Happy_ here. The one exceed who loves to play pranks on people and acts like a child most of the time.

"But Natsuuuu..." he protests "I've just had the best idea".

My ears perk up at this. What is going through his _mind_ I think to myself. "What do you want to do, Happy?" I say, suspicion rising in my voice and face.

"Well, since you've got(i) to go on this mission with Sting, instead of me accompanying you, why don't you go alone, saying that I figured that I shouldn't go since it is being inspected, or something like that, and then I just sneak around following you two"

I think for a moment. It certainly was an interesting yet basic plan, but what does Happy think he'll achieve if he follows us. "What do you want to do when your following us Happy?" I echo my thoughts aloud.

"Well, firstly, if you two are alone, you can try to tell Sting...well, you know... but if he rejects it then I'll be there for you. Plus, if I'm there I can at least _try_ to orchestrate some kinda _interaction_ which I'm _sure_ you'll at least enjoy" he grins devilishly.

I look at my partner for a moment. I was skeptical of what he meant by _something I'll enjoy,_ however his point about him being there for me would give me the extra confidence I would need to try to tell Sting that I like him.

"Hmmm..." I say, contemplating whether to take up Happy on his offer.

"Fine" I say at last, my deliberation over, "But I don't want you doing anything too(i) extreme when me and Sting are out on the job, and don't put the success of the job at risk, like you said this is going to be an inspection"

Happy looks at me with a big grin on his feline features, "Aye, sir, Happy is on the case".

/

 **Sting POV (morning, Day of Natsu's job)**

It was weird waiting for Natsu at the guild at this time of the morning. After seeing him leaving their Master's office yesterday I spent the rest of the day trying to find the wayward Fire Dragon Slayer to try to talk to him about us moving forward. After seeing him leave the guild and after that talk with Makarov I made some inquiries into where he could've gone. Someone said they saw him going into the Magnolia market so I followed the lead. Despite my best efforts I couldn't find him

there so I returned to the guildhall, only to get told that Natsu had just left thereafter, what I heard described as, a 'really intimate' talk with Lisanna Straus, the take-over mage, who by all accounts, died a while ago.

I made some further inquiries upon hearing this and found Lisanna. She was surprised to find me looking for Natsu, and since I didn't want everyone to know why I was so interested in locating the Dragon Slayer, I quickly made a lie up about needing to talk to him before the inspected job request. Thinking this she told me he was probably either in his house in the forest on the outskirts of Magnolia, or training in the forest somewhere.

Hoping it was the former as opposed to the latter (it was a big forest and I couldn't possibly search all of it) I followed the trail outside of town. I spent hours looking for Natsu (or his house) in the forest, however this was to no avail. Seeing the setting sun, I had realized that I was hungry and so returned to the guild, still unsuccessful in my search for Natsu. Not particularly worried since I would _have_ to see him later for the inspection, I returned to the cozy little room that had been paid for me and I went to bed early.

I had awoken this morning and prepared myself for the day ahead. Making a list of some ways I could try to become better acquainted with Natsu, he had, after all, shrugged me off yesterday.

I had set off to the guildhall earlier than yesterday and I arrived quite early, seeing as how very few wizards were assembled inside. I had walked over to the counter and was greeted by Mirajane, who offered me a coffee.

"But how did you know?" I inquired with a little surprise.

"After Freed determined how you took your coffee, I figured you'd want one every morning, just like most of the wizard's here" she explained.

I took a sip and beamed a big smile at her. "It's absolutely perfect Mirajane" I said.

She returned the smile with one equally if not more warming than the coffee. "Thanks Sting, but please, call me Mira" she said.

"Okay, thank you for the coffee, _Mira_ " I said.

She smiled and then moved on to focus on another mages requests.

 _Today is gonna be a good day._

/

Natsu finally showed up at the guild after about an hour and a half, brimming with energy like he always seemed to be at the Games. I envied him somewhat, had I not been up early to wait for him I would _definitely_ not be up this early, it was only about 9AM. When I'm at home I ALWAYS wake up early because of some kind of reaction to sunlight, something about being a White Dragon Slayer, however I NEVER have his energy at this time. The only reason I could barely being conscious now was because I was excited to spend some time with Natsu.

Natsu entered the guild hall and was greeted by a chorus of hellos from Lucy, Lisanna, Erza and Gray. Listening in, slightly, using my enhanced hearing I was able to hear some of what their conversation was. Mostly it was the remainder of Natsu's team telling him that they were going on a job without him whilst he goes on the job with me. He did dispute a bit but then Erza just glowered at him and he quieted down almost immediately. As for Lisanna she was just enquiring into how he was feeling. What did make me suspicious, however, was the knowing look she gave him as he turned from the group and headed in my direction.

"Hiya Sting" he said walking up to the table I was sitting at sipping at my third coffee of the morning (yes, I know it's quite a lot of coffee, but I didn't really have anything better to do AND I was tired).

"Hello, Natsu" I say back to him, a smiling the friendliest smile I can muster.

He stands next to me looking down and returning my smile. It seems like whatever was bothering him yesterday wasn't any more. Good, I want him to be in as higher a spirit as possible for _today_.

"Well..." he begins, ensuring he has my attention, "Do you wanna go on this inspected job now or..."he trails off, leaving me to answer.

"Yeah, I'd like to go, but first I need to know what the job _is_ and _where_ it is" I say. He seems to have forgotten that he said he'd tell me today, although I don't really need the details since Master Makarov showed me the flyer anyways.

"Oh yeah" he says, tapping his right temple, "I forgot to tell you yesterday, sorry 'bout that".

"It's nothing to worry about Natsu, now why don't you sit down and tell me what the job is so that we can get a move on" I say, gesturing for him to sit opposite me.

 _This is going to be exhausting I see._

/

 **Natsu POV**

I'd woken up this morning realizing that I was going to have to go on the job with Sting today. When I got downstairs Happy had already gone, but he left a note saying that he will be ready and waiting for me to leave with Sting on the job at 11AM. That meant I had time to sort things out before I had to go see Sting.

I quickly ate some breakfast and showered before leaving for the guildhall. As soon as I arrived at the guild I was surrounded by people. After a quick argument with Erza about her, Lucy and Gray going on a job whilst I'm out with Sting, and after saying a quick 'hello' to Lisanna, I entered the guildhall properly to find Sting already there drinking a coffee. He smiled at me and I felt my heart skip and flutter. _Damn it_ I think, trying to control my Dragon enhanced primal nature, _why does he have to be so damn hot?_

I walked over to him running through things I'd need to say to him. Pretending to have forgotten our brief discussion yesterday I sat down ready to explain the details of the job.

"Right, " I said, taking the offered seat opposite Sting, "The job seem'd pretty simple to me. Basically there's a group of bandits holed up in some abandoned castle with a weird powerful stick-thing that's supposed to control souls. I've just gotta take out the group of 'em and then recover the thingy to hand it over to the Magic Council forces that'll be waiting ready at the nearest town."

Sting looked at me, taking in the new information. "Right, yeah, that seem's simple enough. Are you ready to go now?".

I went to nod my head and Sting began to get up, drinking the end of his coffee, but then I pulled him back down. "On second thought," I said a little too quickly "I'd like to get a coffee first and _then_ we can go. Sound alright to you?". _I've still got half an hour before Happy said for me to leave on his note_ I think to myself _, I'm just gonna have to prolong leaving for half an hour, one coffee shouldn't be so bad, right?_

But it means I'm alone with Sting...

Sitting opposite to him...

Drinking coffee with him...

 _Have I just made a date somehow?!_

/

 **Sting POV**

Natsu wanted to drink coffee with me? I look at him and he just seem's to have withdrawn to his own personal train of thought. He's probably just thinking about the _inspection_ I think to myself, before signaling to Mira that I'd like another coffee and Natsu would to. She saw my signaling and smiled, signaling back that she understood, before wandering off to make them.

Minutes later she returned placing two coffee's down, one in front of me and one in front of Natsu. Natsu immediately pulled out of his reflective stare and began drinking the coffee. I took a sip of mine, it was hot, but it was still fantastic. _I really don't know how Mirajane manages to get it so perfect._

Natsu looks at me and opens his mouth to speak, but then stops himself. _I see he isn't going to be the conversation starter, looks like I'll have to start._

I smile at Natsu. He returns the smile and I ask him, "What were you doing yesterday?". He seems stunned by my question, and then I realize what it sounded like. I quickly hold my hands up to stop him before any overly awkward situation arises. "I mean...errr... I went looking for you yesterday because I wanted to know more about the job, but no matter where I was directed to in Magnolia, it seemedlike I just couldn't find you".

Natsu relaxed a little before answering. "Sorry, I went for a bit of training in the forest, before going home. I'm sorry I made you waste your time, I'm sure you would've rather been doing something else".

"Nah, it's fine" I reply "It helped me to explore Magnolia a bit, and I _did_ get to see some interesting sites. The market was especially interesting, such a wide variety of food. It made me really hungry". I laugh a little as a smile creeps up on Natsu's features.

"Yeah, I like the market here in Magnolia too, there's so much tasty food".

"Hmm... you'll have to point me to the more interesting places sometime, maybe some of the better restaurants" I say, contemplating the possibility of going to one of those restaurants with my idol.

Natsu looked at me for a few moments and then went quiet again, slowing drinking his coffee. I took another sip; it was boiling yet he could drink it with no problem whatsoever.

 _Probably because he's the Fire Dragon Slayer_ I think to myself.

/

After about ten more minutes Natsu and me both finished our coffee's and left the guildhall. We quickly went to the place where I was staying so that I could collect a few things before we left again to go on the mission. When Natsu walked into the inn room he seemed to eye everything with an interest which I found quite amusing. After a few seconds he turned to me, smiling again for the first time since he went quiet a little while ago in the guildhall. "Hey, Sting" he said "This place is pretty nice".

I look at him with an amused expression. "Yeah, it is. I think if I come back to Magnolia at some point in the future I'll stay here again".

"Hey, if all the rooms are like _this_ I might just move out of my house and live in one of these places". He laughs at his statement, and once again I'm left smiling, amused by the slightly more immature Dragon Slayer's antics and comments. _Why do I always seem to spend my time smiling and grinning like an idiot around Natsu?_ I think to myself as we leave my apartment room and head towards the outskirts of Magnolia.

Once outside of town I reviewed the checklist I had prepared mentally to ensure that I could pass Natsu on his mission. I knew it would be difficult reviewing his performance neutrally since I admired him so much however I was prepared for the worst and so long as Natsu's destructive tendencies didn't result in the destruction of the target item or the town where we are supposed to deliver it I figured I should be able to overlook any minor property damage. I also quickly checked the route we were going to take to the Bandit Castle which Natsu is supposed to raid. It was lucky that this time the job did _not_ involve travelling by train, much to both Natsu _and_ my relief. The castle we were heading for just seemed to be a few hour's walk from Magnolia. On the way Natsu and me both began to talk.

Mostly we discussed what it was like living with our exceed buddies, since that was the main thing which unified both of our lives, however we also discussed some foods we liked, or did not like in some cases,

and Natsu even began asking me questions about what it's like as the new Master of Sabertooth. Overall it was quite pleasant, and I was very happy to _finally_ have the chance to spend some time with as well as talk to Natsu Dragneel, my childhood hero and idol. He seemed to let me do most of the talking, however some of the conversations we had were dominated by him and his antics. Once again I found myself befuddled at how easily the Fire Dragon Slayer could make me laugh and I couldn't help but feel friendly towards the love-able idiot.

 _Wait_...

 _Did I really just describe Natsu Dragneel as 'love-able'?_

/

After about half an hour's walking we came to a small little shack in the middle of no-where. It had SHOPPE scrawled in big red letters across it's front sign and the building itself seemed to be quite old and somewhat rundown. Looking inside there was only an elderly woman behind the counter and, what I presume was a dog (although it was difficult to tell under all that fur, for all I know it could just be a REALLY big dust bunny), lying around in the corner. The old women beckoned us in with a wizened smile. "Hello, dearies" she said, her voice croaking with age, "What can I get for you?".

Me and Natsu looked at each other, however he took the initiative. "Do you have any food?" he asked politely.

"Yes yes, dearie, its over there" she pointed to a slightly dusty corner. I followed Natsu over to the area she had pointed out and scanned the shelves. This shop seemed to sell all kinds of things. Drinks, food, magazines, sweets, small toys for children, chew toys for animals, even medicine. Natsu looked through the assembled food-stuffs on the wooden shelves. Whilst he was busy I explored the other shelves, it had, after all, been his idea to stop at this place, complaining he was hungry from all the walking. I feigned interest in some of the clearly dated magazines whilst watching Natsu, and the old women, out of the corner of my eye. _Why did I think he was so love-able before_ I think to myself, _I can't be attracted to that idiot, can I?_ After the thought had first crossed my mind when we were walking I just couldn't get it out of my head. It was after that thought that I noticed that I was watching Natsu's body as he walks, mostly uncovered by that ill-fitting waistcoat, as well as watching the way his lips moved when he asked me questions or responded to the ones I had asked him.

I was pulled from my day-dream like state of thought by the movement of Natsu in my peripheral vision. He moved from the place where he had been looking at the food and went over to the counter. I saw the exchange of money and then turned as he gestured for me to follow him out. I did so, politely smiling to the old lady as I left.

Once we were outside I inquired into what Natsu had bought. "You didn't _really_ buy something from a place like _that_ , did you?" I ask.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I buy something. I was hungry and they had food, what's wrong with that?" he asked, clearly unaware of the evident lack of hygiene in that rotting, ancient store.

"Who knows how long that stuff's been there for, do you really think it's safe to eat?"

"It'll be fine" he says with confidence borne from sheer naivety.

 _God's he's an idiot_ I think, sighing in exhaustion of my partner's stupidity. _But he really is love-able._

 _Damn it I'm thinking of him like_ that _again._

/

 **Natsu POV**

Ever since the guild hall I couldn't stop eyeing up Sting. Since he mentioned the idea of me 'pointing out' good restaurants for him I couldn't resist the images popping up in my mind of me and him on a date in a nice little restaurant. I think he noticed my quietness after this and he often seemed to fill in the silences that I left in our conversations. _Probably thinks I'm nervous for the inspection_.

In truth I didn't feel that nervous at all when it came to the idea of being observed on a job. No, what really made butterflies fill my stomach was being this near to Sting for such a long period of time. Even when we were walking I couldn't resist the temptation to study his perfect body, especially those luscious abs revealed by his way-too-short top. And his laugh, I couldn't stop cracking up jokes just so that I could hear that melodious tune. Every time I saw him grin, or smile, or even just chuckle my heart would go all fluttery. _I'm gonna_ have _to tell him soon, or I might just explode or feint. Or both_ , I think as I eat the meat-treat I bought at that weird store.

When we finally stopped, some few meters away from the targeted Bandit-infested castle, I felt a great wave of relief pass over me. I could finally get Sting outta my head and focus on something else for a bit. Sting took me over to a ridge, laden with bushes and foliage, and from there we observed the castle. There was people bustling all over the place. Plenty of armed guard's too.

"Can you smell that, Natsu?" Sting says to me.

I take short inhalation of breath through my nose. "Yup, sure can. That's some powerful dark magic in there" I say.

"Your gonna have to be careful. These guys may not be the strongest wizards, but with that staff they're gonna be hard to beat" he lectures.

"It's fine, Sting, don't worry. I'll bash straight through those guys and grab the staff before anyone can even utter one spell" I say, confidence brimming from my words.

"Just... be careful Natsu" he repeats himself, "I'm gonna stick close to you. As per the rules of the inspection, I'm not allowed to help in the succession of this mission in any but life-threatening situations, so

once were in there I won't be able to help you much" he says, a fierce dominance showing in his eyes. He was adamant about this rule, but I was sure this would go well.

/

After ten minutes of out and out brawling I made my way to the central chamber of the castle, Sting following from a short distance behind, watching out for any sneak attacks. He had remained true to his word and not gotten involved in much of the fighting, the only time he even used a spell was when one guy had attempted, quite foolishly, to sneak up behind him and take him as a hostage to stop me. He regretted his actions quite quickly when a White Dragon Roar came charging his way. Now that had made me laugh.

I reached the chamber doors and quickly dispatched the guards at the entrance, they would be out cold for a while. With an air of satisfaction, I walked past the guards and used my Fire Dragon Roar to cause the sealed inner doors to fly open, hitting some of the assembled mages inside. I then charged the remaining few, again dispatching them quickly without ever needing Sting's help. I then walked up to the glass case to grab the staff I had been sent to recover, only to find the case empty. It was then that I saw the three mages standing by the entrance to the chamber. I hadn't even noticed their presence by smell or by their magic. _How could they do that?_

Sting and me both stood to face them, but it was then that I noticed the central mage wielding some weird, wooden stick.

He wore some odd, jester-like outfit, with a mask that obscured his face, only his mouth was visible. He grinned and then pointed at us with the hand that he wasn't using to hold the artefact staff.

"Well, well Salamander, oh and the White Dragon Slayer, come Guild Master, Sting Eucliffe. You've made quite a mess of the place, shame. But I've still got _this_ " he waved around the staff with an air of self-confidence, "and neither of you are going to be leaving here alive".

Me and Sting looked at each other…

And then we burst out laughing. "Oh no, we're being threatened by a clown" I say a huge smile on my face.

"Not just that but he's got that ridiculous mask on as well" Sting adds, a smile as big as my own on his perfect features.

We see the rage build up in our opponent and then he spoke up "You _dare_ to insult me? You will both be dead, right here, right NOW, and I will use this staff to make good on that, I assure you".

He snapped his fingers, and the two mages on either side of him leapt up, each sending a ball of blue magic to strike us. Me and Sting simply leapt behind us, out of the way of their attacks, however it was at that moment that a great roar of laughter filled the room. The Jester-mage had the staff pointed at the pair of us, a huge ball of light shining at the end. "It's the end for you two" he said as the ball streamed towards us.

I didn't even have time to react to dodge, or to block. It was going to hit me.

It was then that I felt strong arms grab me and shove me out of the way. The last thing I saw was Sting throwing himself where I was standing, taking the full blow of whatever spell that staff had just cast. He was smiling at me despite being hit.

 _No, not him_ I think, fearing rising in my chest, _not right before I tell him that I love him_.

 **End of Chapter 4**


	5. Chapter 5 - A Rude Awakening

**Chapter 5 - A Rude Awakening**

 **Author's note.**

 **I would just like to say a BIG Thank You to all who read this story. It means so much to me that you read it. Every view makes me happier and happier. Also, if anyone has any comments, or any ideas on how to improve either my writing or the story, it would be much appreciated.**

 **Now, on with the chapter.**

 **Natsu** **POV**

Sting was falling, his eyes dulling, but a smile still on his face. He had pushed me out of the way of a spell that damned staff had cast.

 _No, not him_ I think, fearing rising in my chest, _not right before I tell him that I love him_.

I catch his falling body, pulling it close to mine as I do so. _He can't die, not now._

I feel the fear in my chest quickly become replaced by sheer rage, the possessive nature given to me by that more primal instinct, enhanced further by my Dragon Slayer Magic, turning every bit of loss I felt about Sting into complete, unbridled fury.

I felt myself stand, lightly placing Sting's body onto the floor of the room. I faced the jester-like wizard who had sent that spell towards us, towards Sting, and I saw that he was still laughing. _Not for much longer_ , I think as the hunger for revenge clouds my mind. "I got him" he laughed, "I got the Master of Sabertooth, and what a fall it was. How… graceful. Heh… he heh heh he". I roared, stopping his laughter briefly before he began again. "Oh, you're still alive though, eh Salamander. Don't worry though, you'll join your friend soon enough" he said with a grin. I simply sent a feral stare at him. _He MUST die._

I took one step forward and the wizard rose the staff again. He tutted, "Don't move Salamander. Your friend's soul is mine. Anyone struck by this staff's power is locked inside it. Their magic at MY command". He emphasized this by send a ray of white light into the wall. "See. The power of the White Dragon Slayer is MINE to command". I shrug and take another step forward. This time he doesn't bother laughing or smiling. "I said DON'T MOVE, Salamander".

I finally bother to reply, giving a short grunt, sounding more like an animal than a man, before rushing up to the staff-wielding wizard's two associates, taking them out each with a flame covered fist to their guts.

I then begin slowly walking towards the jester, savoring the look of fear running over his face. He pointed the staff at me, thinking of one of Sting's spell's at random. "White Dragon Roar" he shouted. I observed the white light emanating from the tip of the staff, however I deftly dodged it and struck a blow to the jester-looking idiot whilst he was left open. I wrangle the staff from him and point it towards his face. "Tell me how to release Sting from this, or you'll be joining him in there" I growl. He simply whimpers, so, in my enraged state, I beat him unconscious and take the staff. At least the mission was getting complete.

/

 **Happy POV**

I'd been observing Natsu and Sting since they'd left Magnolia. I saw how Natsu was always trying to make Sting laugh, and I also saw how Natsu often fell one or two steps behind Sting, _observing_ the blond Guildmaster as he did so. I couldn't help but smile, I'd never seen Natsu so happy before. Or so pervy.

When they stopped at the weird old shop, I figured that it was probably because Natsu was getting hungry again. While they were in there I flew down to a small bush and hid, conserving my magical energy. I had, after all, been flying on and off for the past hour and a bit.

Once the pair left the shop I continued following them until they reached the castle where Natsu was supposed to recover the staff. Whilst they charged inside I waited outside the main entrance, out of sight in the shadows. _It's like I'm a ninja_ , I think to myself gleefully, memories of that time in Everlue's mansion filtering through my mind.

My joyful adventure was cut short, however, as Natsu emerged from the castle with the staff in his arms.

 _And an unconscious Sting?!_

/

I flew over to Natsu as fast as I possibly could. "What happened Natsu?" I ask him, taking note of the slightly feral look in his eyes. He simply looked at me and then looked down at Sting, loving care overwhelming those black eyes.

"We went inside and managed to beat most of 'em no problem" he said, self-control clear in his voice, "But then… when we got to the staff chamber…well…we…" he trailed off. He was clearly too overwhelmed to think clearly, especially with Sting's unconscious form in his arms. I try to comfort him as best I can. "Come on Natsu" I say reassuringly, "You were supposed to take that thing to the magic council's forces in the nearest town, right? So why do we get there ASAP and they can help Sting too.".

Natsu looks up at me. "Your right Happy" he said, slightly more enthusiastically than before, "We gotta get there quick, so that Sting can…" he couldn't finish his sentence still. Before any more sadness could fill Natsu's eyes I wrapped my tail around him and conjured up as much magical energy as I could into my wings. _We gotta get Sting to a hospital soon, I can hear his breathing but it's getting fainter_.

"Let's go Natsu!" I shout as I lift him and Sting quickly into the air. It was a heavier load than what I was normally used to, but I would have to manage. For Natsu's sake.

/

 **General POV**

The nearest town to the castle was the small town of Acalypha, the place famous for its resident merchant guild 'Love and Lucky' (Yes, the guild where Lucy's father worked). In one of the multiple popular inns were three powerful members of the Magic Council's forces, the Rune Knights. Sitting around, clad in their armor, they were awaiting message from Natsu Dragneel or Sting Eucliffe about successful retrieval of the Devouring Staff. When one of them looked out of the window, however, all three were surprised to see Natsu, Sting AND the Devouring Staff tumbling out of the sky carried by a small cat. Watching on with awe one thought filled all their minds.

"We need to stop drinking on the job" they all said in unison.

/

 **One Hour Later**

After witnessing the most bizarre event in their careers, and they each had seen some pretty bizarre things working for the magic council, the three knights quickly were made aware of the situation by a small, taking, blue cat. Not bothering to question the cat they each took action. Whilst one took the staff and set off to return it to the Council, giving a report of the situation as well, the other two dealt with the injured Sting. One of the two men, a younger man with a short mustache, took Sting up on his back and carried him to the resident doctor's house, while his associate, an older man with a long beard, went ahead to make the doctor aware of the situation.

They reached the doctor's house and were hurried inside. Placing Sting with great care on a bed, the doctor quickly dispensed some medicine from his cabinet and fed it to Sting, luckily there was a mage on hand as well and they too arrived only moments after the first group, followed by the elder Rune Knight who had gone to fetch him. Seeing Sting at once the elderly mage used his accumulated experience, and what he had been told, to make a quick prognosis. "It's a magical enchantment, cast by that staff, it won't be easy to cure or dispel" he said. This caused Natsu to become quite annoyed and he began to make a fuss, stating that he and Happy should bring Sting back to Fairytail, however the doctor insisted he leave and that there was no way they could move Sting any more in his condition. Once Natsu had been subdued by being forced to leave the room, Happy went off to the guild to tell the Master what had happened.

The other two Rune Knights knew that there was nothing they could help with so they decided that one would stay to make sure Natsu didn't cause any trouble whilst the other return to Headquarters to see if there was anything else going to be done, much to Natsu's relief. He really didn't like being baby sat by two Rune Knights.

/

 **Natsu POV (The Next Day)**

After my outburst in Sting's room I had sat in a corner chair in the adjoining room of the doctor's house and not moved since. The older Rune Knight said he'd stay here to make sure I ' _don't cause any trouble'_ however I ignored him and curled up in the seat, hiding my face from the world behind my knees. Only one thought remained in my head, right up until I fell asleep; _How could everything have gone so wrong so quickly?_

Walking this morning I was approached by the kindly wife of the doctor. Seeing my frustration and anger she offered me some tea, which I begrudgingly accepted. She kind of reminded me of Mira back at the guild. Thinking of the guild made me think of Happy. I really needed someone to talk to, but Happy was the only person who knew how I was feeling.

After about an hour since I woke up the doctor came out of Sting's room. "Your friend's gonna be just fine" he said, obviously noting my concern and remembering my outburst yesterday. I felt a pang of guilt but quickly suppressed it. "Can I see him?" I ask politely.

"Yes, you can. My colleague left some time last night, said that I just needed to give him _this_ medicine" the doctor said. "Now I'm going to bed, It's been a while since I pulled an all-nighter, so, in about an hour or so do you think you could administer Mister Sting's next dose?".

I didn't even think before replying. "Of course I can" I said with a smile. At least Sting was going to be alright.

"Good, you may go in now" The doctor said, handing me the bottle of medicine before walking off to what I assumed was another bedroom. This house was _quite_ big, and it did belong to a doctor, so it would stand to reason they had multiple beds.

Upon entering the room, I saw Sting, slightly battered and beaten, and still unconscious on the bed. Seeing his peaceful face made tears well up in the corners of my eyes. I wiped them away and closed the door, I didn't want that other Rune Knight, who was still in the adjoining room, seeing me crying.

/

After being allowed to see Sting I spent the rest of the day in a wooden chair the doctor's wife had brought into the room. I sat and watched his handsome face, the picture of peaceful rest. Seeing Sting like this calmed me down quite a bit.

I regularly gave him the medicine the doctor had given me, however aside from that I didn't really do much else except answer the odd question which was made to me by either the Rune Knight outside, the caring doctor's wife, or the doctor himself. The medicine wasn't really that difficult to administer. It was a black, sludgy potion, with a particularly sweet scent, slightly like honey. After a few experimental tries I found that the best way for Sting to take the concoction was by sitting him up straight, and then forcing the stuff down his throat. He coughed and spluttered sometimes, but he never threw the stuff back up, which was good. It meant I didn't have to clean any mess up.

This went on for the rest of the day, and by nightfall I fell asleep, curled into the same wooden chair I had spent the full day on. My night, however, were not as peaceful or pleasant as the day. I often woke after some terrible nightmare, which always sat on the precipice of my memories, just out of reach. All I could remember about them was me, Sting, and that dreaded white blast piercing his body. _And that smile he sent me as he saved me from it._

/

The second day went much as the first. To begin with that is.

I woke next to Sting on my wooden chair and popped my head out of the door, to see the smiling face of the doctor's wife, who offered me coffee and some breakfast. I accepted both with a smile and ate them down quite readily, I hadn't eaten anything proper since going into that room the day before. I was joined at the table by the doctor, clad in a suit and wearing a fancy-looking hat. He looked at me eating my breakfast and then turned to his wife, "He gets his breakfast made for him, but _me_ , your _HUSBAND_ , doesn't?" he questioned her. She simply smiled and then set about making another breakfast.

"You're not normally up this early dear" she replied lazily, bringing him over a coffee. "And that young man there has been tending to _your_ patient for the past day while you've been sleeping and off out in town".

The older doctor sighed before looking at me, "Speaking of the patient, how's he doing? Have you been giving him the medicine I gave you?".

I started to speak but for once I waited until my mouth was empty first. "I've been giving him that stuff every few hours like you said to. He seems to be okay, however I've not noticed any signs of him waking up."

"He probably won't wake up for another day or so. The wizard those knights brought is a good friend of mine, and I've had a bit of experience dealing with magical ailments myself. It seems that Sting is sleeping to conserve energy whilst his body replaces the magical energy he lost in that fight."

"Yeah that seems likely" I said, nodding to show my understanding.

"The time in that staff probably didn't help though. From what my friend has told me the dark energy in that staff would've periodically sapped some of his magical energy whilst he was in there, so that means he lost a lot more energy than it appeared. The good news is, however, that the staff doesn't appear to have any side effects and the 'soul stealing' effect of it was only temporary. I think it was probably released when you took possession of the staff from that dark mage" he said with a nod.

"Okay" I said. I admit he lost me with the sapping and the soul stealing, however I got the gist of what he was saying. "I'll go and check on him now" I say motioning to stand up before the doctor's wife stopped me.

"If you're going in there again dear I want you promise that you'll come out and have lunch with us later, okay? It's not good for you to refuse eating regularly" she said. Realising she won't let me passed unless I agree I nod my head and she lets me up and out of the dining room.

I enter Sting's room and re-take my wooden chair beside his bed thinking; _Today was going to be a looooong and very boooooring day_.

Not matter how I felt about the matter however once I set eyes on Sting's sleeping form, my heart just melts and a smile forms on my face.

 _Your so cute Sting,_ I think devilishly, _cute… and handsome._

/

It was around 3pm when I finally got up to stretch my legs. I had been spending most of my time in this room, just watching Sting sleep and giving him his medicine. Every so often I got up so burn some pent-up energy, or answer questions from the doctor or his wife. The other Rune Knight left after lunch, saying that he had spent all the time he could on this and would have to return to Headquarters for a new assignment. Aside from lunch and my short breaks I didn't really do much else. A letter had arrived from Gramps this morning stating that he understood the situation and that if I needed anything to just write back. I contemplated responding to the letter and asking how everyone else was doing but decided against it. _Sending letters back and forth would be too expensive and I'm a bit low on money at the moment_ I thought gloomily _._

After walking a short path through the house I now knew quite well I returned to the room with Sting in, however as soon as I entered I stopped in my tracks. The peaceful demeanor on Stings face was replaced with a grimace of pain. I shut the door and ran up to him, holding my hand to his forehead. He wasn't burning up as far as I could tell. _So it's not fever then._ I recheck the injuries he sustained. _None of them are getting worse._

 _Maybe I should go get the doctor?_ I think in a panic. _Oh wait… the doctor went out to get more medical supplies. Damn it, what am I going to do?_

In my panic I fail to notice Sting stirring in his sleep. I look down again to see the whites of his eyes.

"He's waking up" I shout, although there was no-one in particular I was shouting to.

It's then that I feel warmth running down my face.

Tears…

 _I'm crying?_

I bend over and embrace Sting, hearing him speak his first words in two days. "Hey… Natsu…" he breathes heavily.

Noticing that he was breathing heavily I unwrap my arms from round him. I look into his eyes, still slightly hazy from the long sleep. I bend down, smiling at him and, without realising I'm even doing so, I kiss him.

/

 **Sting POV**

I woke, the last thing I remember pushing Natsu out of the path of that beam, only to find myself in a small room, in an unfamiliar bed, with Natsu leaning over me, his face smiling but his eyes crying. _I must be dreaming_ ; I think to myself _, why on Earth-land would Natsu be crying over me_. It's then that I feel the brush of his lips against mine, the warmth of his body pressing against mine, almost uninsulated despite the bed sheets between us. _This MUST be a dream. There's no way this can be happening. Still… if it is a dream… and if none of this is real… then I could…_

I start kissing Natsu back.

/

We break from kissing as Natsu pulls away, realising I was kissing him back, he sends a look of confusion towards me. Saving the myriad of questions I had building up in my mind (mostly about where I was and what happened) I returned his look with one of confidence. Well… as much confidence as I could muster in the situation. "Hey Natsu…" I say unsurely, my voice wavering, belying the confident demeanor I forced onto my face, "Were we just… ummm… kissing?" I say, still hoping inwardly that this was just a _really_ _vivid_ dream. Natsu didn't respond, however his cheeks became flushed. _Damn it he's cute when he's blushing_ , I think to myself, inwardly scolding myself for such inappropriate comments given the situation. "It's just… well… what happened… you know, after the beam?" I ask him, trying to distract both myself and Natsu. It took a few moments for Natsu to compose himself and rid most of the blush from his face before he answered. "It's kinda a long story Sting" he says.

"Well… it looks like I got injured and your still alright, aren't you? So start from after the fight, okay?" I say, trying to hide my evident distraction. _Did I_ really _just kiss Natsu Dragneel? I mean… I know I like him… kind of… but that couldn't have been real._

"Well…" Natsu said, answering my question, whilst also trying to continue the situation on, avoiding the awkwardness that was quickly filling the room. "After you fell I got really angry and got the staff back, then I managed to haul you here where this friendly doctor helped to heal with this other wizard. You've been out of it for two days" he said.

I took me a moment to absorb this new information. When it finally hit me that I had been out for two whole days I could help but gasp. "Two days… really?" I say with surprise.

"Yeah… well, one and a bit, but it's okay now, right?" he said. I could see that he was trying to avoid the question looming over both of us. It's then that it hits me. "Wait… if I've been out of it for two days then have _you_ been looking after me?" I ask him.

"Yeah I have" he says, somewhat offended.

My heart does a little somersault. _Maybe he does care… well he_ must _if he looked after me for two full_ days I think, sudden elation filling my chest. "So I'm okay besides the minor injuries and the whole sleeping for two days thing, right Natsu?" I ask him, trying desperately to contain my growing feelings. _What is coming over me?_ I think silently.

"Yeah, the doctor says you'd be alright to leave if you'd wake up, I think he wants to reclaim his house to just himself and his wife" Natsu says, evidently aware of the strain my injuries had been causing on the other people around him. I smiled at him warmly. _He cares about everyone, even strangers, especially if they've helped him when he needed them to._

At that moment a realization dawns on me. _Do I… love Natsu? I definitely like him. I definitely idolize him. But love him? Could I?_

My sudden, new, train of thought was stopped by the motion of Natsu's hand waving in front of my face. "Hey, Sting…" he said, obviously aware that I was lost in my own thoughts.

"Yes, Natsu" I respond.

"I was wondering…" he said. He's going to ask about before. When I kissed him back.

Sure enough a small red hue adorned his cheeks as he tried to formulate the question on his mind. He went to speak but I put my hand up to stop him before he even began. "Natsu… I think I should be honest. I've always wanted you to be my friend. You know I've always idolized you… but recently…" I stopped suddenly. Just as Natsu had been I struggled to formulate my thoughts into words. Natsu took the silence and used it to talk. "Sting… well… I've kinda liked you… for a long time…" he said, his blush deepening.

I cracked a smile, he really _was_ cute. "So… you feel like… _this_ … too" I ask him.

He doesn't speak, a nod was all I got. "So… when you kissed me" I continued, "I wasn't dreaming then".

That incited Natsu to speak up, "No, you were awake then, or at least waking up… and well… seeing you injured in that fight… especially when you saved me… I could control my emotion's anymore" he said, ever so slightly embarrassed.

"Right… well… what do _you_ want to do now, Natsu?" I say, leaving this up to him seemed like the right course of action, especially since _he_ kissed _me_.

He gave this some thought before answering. "I want to… be with you… if that's okay with you?" he said.

I smile at him. "Course it's okay with me Natsu. Although I admit I haven't been having these feeling as long as you have clearly, I _do_ like you."

"So what should we do now?" He asked, voice still hinting uncertainty.

"Well…" I'm lost for words. We both sit in an uncomfortable few moments of silence before a thought popped into my head that I just _had_ to voice. "I know…" I say with a smile of confidence forming on my face, "How about you take me to one of those 'better' restaurants you said you'd point me to when we get back to Magnolia" he _had_ _to_ _love_ this idea.

"What… you mean like a date?" he asked.

"Yeah" I reply. He contemplates this and then a HUGE grin formed on his face.

"Sure… let's do it" he said enthusiastically.

 **End of Chapter 5**


	6. Chapter 6 - Maybe Something More

**Chapter 6 – Maybe Something… More**

 **Sting POV**

After me and Natsu made our… arrangement, we spent the rest of the day talking. Now that Natsu knew my… errr… feelings his demeanor drastically changed. Whilst before he had been somewhat energetic and chatty I had noticed he often fell into a more reflective state, quiet and almost unnerving, however after our kiss he seemed to open up to me a lot more. In turn I stopped being so obsessed with trying to befriend the Fire Dragon Slayer and instead became increasingly more interested with him personally.

Our conversations shifted throughout the day. Initially we chatted about ourselves, each taking it in turn to ask questions which we thought about, just like when we walked from Magnolia. However, later, when the doctor returned and saw me awake, the conversation shifted to something a little less personal in order to prevent him getting suspicious. We had agreed after our arrangement that we would try to keep things as quiet as possible, making sure that we felt comfortable with our new… _now what should I call it? We hadn't really agreed as to whether we were friends,_ good _friends or even… maybe… boyfriends._

 _It doesn't really matter at this moment, I'm sure we could discuss that_ much _later._

/

That night Natsu still stayed in that wooden chair which, according to what he told me, he spent almost his entire time in whilst he was looking after me. It was late at night, around 12 PM, when I rolled on my side and looked at him, curled up, fast asleep in the chair. He was too cute, almost… _adorable_.

Personally I couldn't sleep. _Probably because I've spent the last few days asleep_ I think, so I just lay there watching him. The rise and fall of his muscular chest, the sometimes short breaths he took, the way his face changed as his dream played out before his unconscious mind. I observed everything about him, from his pink locks to his muscular body.

 _We have to be careful for the next couple of days_ , I remind to myself. When the doctor examined me earlier he said that after a few more days of rest I should be able to return to Fairytail, much to both my and Natsu's relief. I did feel bad for Natsu, though, being stuck here with me. He denied it when I asked him if he was bored before, however, I knew how he really felt. He often took walks both around the house and sometimes outside, burning up the building energy he stored up inside. He was desperate to get back to Fairytail and go on missions again, but he did agree to go on a date with me first though.

That knowledge, and the image of Natsu asleep, helped calm my mind. _I wonder if he would sleep next to me if I let him. His body is so warm… maybe if I tell him it might help me get to sleep..._ I think as my eyes drift closed.

/

The next morning was much like yesterday. I woke before Natsu, again the light had hit my face from the somewhat closed curtains just like that day before we left Magnolia, and again I woke almost immediately, my groggy mind trying to process the numbers on the clock to work out the time. _It's only 8 o'clock_ I think, stretching my arms and getting up. Although I always woke once sunlight hit me I was _never_ usually up this early. The only time I normally woke early was when Rouge would wake me for this meeting or that opening. He really could annoy me sometimes. _But he is my best friend_ , I think, getting out of the bed, _And I know I can rely on him_. Thinking of Rouge made me think of Sabertooth, and the rest the guild. Suddenly a pang of homesickness ran through me as I thought of Lector, waiting for me to return. _I wonder if Makarov informed my guild that I was injured_ I think suddenly realising that they could all be worrying about me desperately. "I'll have to send them a message at some point, to reassure them" I say aloud, making a mental note.

"Wuz dat?" Natsu said groggily from behind me.

"Sorry, Natsu, did I wake you?" I ask with concern. I've already caused him enough problems without depriving him of sleep as well. "Nah, it's fine Sting" he replied, also getting up and stretching. "I'm used to Happy waking me up earlier than I'd like" he said with a broad smile.

"What you smiling like that for?" I ask playfully yet suspiciously.

"I'd just had an amusing thought, that's all" Natsu replied, not really giving much more of an answer as he bustles about the room. I see him reach for my bed sheets to tidy them but I simply whistled to get his attention. "You don't need to do them for me, you know, and anyways, I'll just end up lying back in them in a few minutes, since I can't go around town yet" I say to him, however this does not deter him from his actions. I sigh and then took a few shaky steps away from the bed. Natsu stops and looks up at me, eyeing my movements with a concern and caution which makes my stomach flutter. "Hey, Sting, you alright?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine" I say uncertainly, "It's just that I haven't been up and out of that bed in a while so my muscles are kinda jelly".

Natsu walks over to me and goes to help me support my weight, however I lightly press against him, preventing him from continuing. "I've gotta get walking by myself again, Natsu. I'm grateful for your willingness to help, and very thankful that you care to help me, however I should probably start walking on my own" I say steadily.

"But, Sting, your still injured" he says in defiance, however he makes no move to continuing trying to help me walk.

"If you want to help me then you can stand ready if I fall, okay?" trying to reach a compromise. He looked like he was about to say something but then smiled again and took a step back, "Go on then" he said gesturing to the doorway out of the room. I took another step then whirled around. "Um… Natsu…" I say quickly "Where are my clothes?". I'd just noticed that I wasn't wearing anything save for my underwear and for the first time realized what Natsu was smiling about before. "You were checking em out before, weren't you?" I say, my voice suddenly filled with suspicion and a little insecurity.

"Maybe…" the Fire Dragon Slayer replied, a wry smile forming on his cute face.

"Oh, come on Natsu, you were gonna let me go out of here like this" I say gesturing to myself.

"Not really" he sighs "I just wanted to see how long it'd take you to notice, heh heh" he laughed. Although I was a little angry, and maybe a little embarrassed, I couldn't help but crack a smile. That sort of stunt was like something I'd do. My smile grew as I realized that me and Natsu could be more alike than I had thought previously. "Sooo… Where _are_ my clothes Natsu?" I ask again, this time eyeing the Fire Dragon Slayer to ensure he gave a response.

"They're over there" he said pointing to a wardrobe. I follow his gesture and walk over to the wardrobe. I hadn't really noticed it before and now I looked it up and down. It looked old with many little crevasses in the wooden doors. I flung it open and saw my clothes, neatly folded at the bottom of the wardrobe. They were in their own little separate space, away from the humdrum of other clothes that must belong to the doctor and his wife. It was surprisingly neat and tidy. "It's nice to see you took care of my stuff, Natsu" I say to him, taking my things from their own little pile.

"I took the liberty of ordering the whole wardrobe whilst I was looking after you" he said, with a little note of pride in his voice at being complimented for his work. "Luckily, the spell that hit you did not damage your stuff so I figured I should keep it for you".

I look at him as I begin getting dressed. "Did you…umm… undress me?" I ask, a touch of embarrassment in my voice. Natsu laughed, taking note of my embarrassment. "Yeah, you didn't look comfortable curled up asleep in your clothes, so I thought I'd help you out" he said with a big grin he had unsuccessfully attempted to stop. "I never had you down for the pervy type, Natsu" I say, a smile forming on my features as well. Natsu was still grinning like an idiot, although he seemed to want to come back to my comment. He didn't respond however, and instead just walk around the bed to the side I was on and wrapped his arms around my still bare chest. "Call me what you like, Sting, but remember that you're the one who asked _me_ out on a date" he says with confidence. I unravel him from around me for a moment so that I could face him, then wrap my arms around his waist, as he does the same to me. "True" I say "But _you're_ the one who kissed _me_ first".

"And _you_ kissed me back" he says smiling.

We both end up laughing as we unknot ourselves from around each other so that I could finish getting changed. Once finished we share a short kiss and then leave the room with me following Natsu. _He had a point, I_ did _kiss him back… without even hesitating._

/

 **Natsu POV**

The morning with Sting couldn't have gotten off to a better start. I woke to Sting talking to himself. Although I couldn't hear what he was saying, the sound of his voice dragged me out of my sleepy state as my body wanted to help him in anyway it could. After our brief 'good morning's' to each other I saw that Sting had gotten out of the bed in only his underwear. _Now that's a sight I could get used to waking up for_ I thought to myself with a grin. When I began smoothing out the creases in Sting's sheets he stopped me but I continued anyway. Although he probably thought I was only trying to be helpful, the fact was that I couldn't stop myself. I hate disorganization when I'm sleeping in someone else's house. It's just plain rude. So I finished my work on the bed and then saw noticed Sting walking uneasily on his newly awoken legs. After our quick encounter in which he refused my help, and then the issue with his clothes I found myself wrapped in his bare, muscular arms. When we kissed this morning I never wanted to leave the room. I just wanted to be with him. Alone.

Despite how I felt I knew we would need to eat. The sooner Sting got back to fighting form, the sooner we could get back to Magnolia for our date. I led Sting out of the room, noting how he looked at me as I led him around the house. I had become accustomed to the house now and knew where everything was, whereas Sting only recently awoken so he often needed me to direct him around the place a bit. The house itself was quite large, however it wouldn't be that difficult to remember where everything was. We sat at the table next to each other, sharing a wry grin as the kindly doctor's wife laid some breakfast in front of the both of us. The doctor was still in bed so we tried to be as quiet as we could so as not to disturb him.

"What do you want to do today Sting?" I ask in a hushed tone.

"I can't really do much, Natsu, why don't you decide. If you wanna walk, or find somewhere to practice your magic, I should be able to come with you… I think" Sting replied quietly.

"Are you sure you're up for walking around, you seemed a bit shaky this morning" I say concerned.

"Yeah, I don't like being cooped up in on place for so long, I need to go out for a bit" Sting says "Plus, if I go for a walk my legs will get more used to it and will recover faster" he says confidently.

"Fine, we'll go for a _short_ walk around town, might be able to show you some of the interesting places I found on some of my walks" I said.

"If you boys want somewhere quieter then there is a clearing in the woods not far from here. It's quiet and there'll be no-one around to disturb you. It should be a good place if you want to practice your magic." The doctor's wife chirped up, taking a seat opposite us.

"That sounds great, thank you" Sting said to her before looking to me "What about that, Natsu, we can go for a little walk to the clearing, you can burn off some energy and practice your magic whilst I observe you. I don't think I should be practicing my magic yet, do you?"

"Fine, if that's what you want to do Sting, then we'll do it" I said with a small smile, "Thanks for your suggestion miss, is there anything I can get you from the market. They seemed to have some nice stuff there yesterday"

"There's nothing really dear, but thank you, you've been a big help for getting the groceries for me" she said happily.

A few minutes later both me and Sting finished our meals and headed off to his room, just getting ready to leave. On the way back upstairs I bumped into the doctor. "If you boys are going to go out today then make sure you don't do anything to energetic, we don't want Master Eucliffe's wounds to get any worse."

"It's fine sir" Sting said, "we are just going for a walk, I think I need to stretch my legs a bit"

"That's fine, just don't go running off or doing something stupid, alright?"

"I'll make sure sir" I said before leading me around the still slightly sleepy doctor and into our room. I straightened the bed a bit, Sting got his shoes on and then we left.

/

 **Sting POV**

As we walked around town Natsu led me around, trying to look inconspicuous. He pointed out some of the interesting buildings and the direction of the market, he even took me to see the Love and Lucky guildhall. Being led around by Natsu brought a fluttery feeling to my stomach again. _What is this feeling? I like Natsu, I like being around him, but… is this love?_ I think as I watch his smiling face recount the story of him chasing Lucy all the way to the Love and Lucky guildhall only to find that she'd defeated a whole dark guild gang by herself. He seemed quite happy recounting these memories of his past. For him they were much closer than the reality that these occurred over seven years ago. Despite the evident interest he had when telling me about his past adventures he failed to notice my distraction. I was too busy with my thoughts to fully listen. _What did Weisslogia tell me about love? I remember him telling me that love was one of the strongest emotions, but he didn't tell me what it felt like._

Natsu continued his directed path along the roads of Acalypha. The town itself was quite beautiful, with unevenly spaced houses intermixed with large areas of Greenland. Natsu led us to the edge of the town bordering onto a small wooded area. He turned to look at me. "Wanna go in?" he said "Or was that walk enough for you?".

"Nah, I'm still good to go" I say. It was a little bit untrue as my legs were kind of sore, not being used to walking because of my previous few days in a coma. Natsu beams at me, "Good, let's go".

/

 **Natsu POV**

The walk around town was fun. Sting seemed to be listening to my stories, which made me incredibly happy. Whether he was just being polite or whether he was genuinely interested it did mean he was listening to me, and I just felt so happy. When we got to the edge of town I figured I should double check how he was feeling. "Wanna go in?" I ask politely "Or was that walk enough for you?".

"Nah, I'm still good to go" he says giving me a smile. "Good, let's go" I reply doing an about face and walking off into the woods.

Once I thought we were deep enough in I stopped and faced Sting. He seemed distracted, however he looked up at me. "What's wrong, Natsu?" he asked.

I look into his bright blue eyes and pull him closer to me. "I just wanted to do something" I whispered in his ear. He looked at me with a face of confusion, however his features softened as I kissed him softly. He pulled me closer to his body and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, his fingers running through the back of my hair. I wrap one arm around his waist and the other around his shoulders. I feel his tongue press against my lower lip, begging for entrance, which I give quite freely. His tounge began its exploration of my mouth. I met his tounge with my own and the battle for dominance began. Although I had allowed him entrance I was still going to fight for dominance, I am a Dragon Slayer after all, being submissive was not in my nature. As the battle between us raged on inside our mouths I never stopped looking into those deep, bright, blue eyes.

Eventually a lack of oxygen forced us apart, although we remained locked in each other's arms. "Well… that was fun" Sting panted slightly. I didn't have the energy to speak so I just smiled and buried my face into his shoulder. I smiled as he gently stroked the back of my head. We didn't move for a few moments, then Sting held me at arm's length. "Natsu," he said, "We could go back to the house if you want…?" he said with a sly grin. "Why would I want to go back there when we're alone out here?" I said with a rise of my eyebrow. Sting laughed. "I never would've thought of you talking… dirty, Natsu" Sting chuckled. I pouted. "Who says I can't be like that?" I question mockingly.

"No, no…" Sting said with a shake of his head, "It's not that you _can't_ be like that it's just that I didn't expect you to be like that" he said. "Now… shall we get going to that clearing, then you can use up some of that energy".

"I bet I can think of a better way to use my pent-up energy" I say with a bigger grin.

"Not now, Natsu" Sting said, matching my grin, "The doctor said no strenuous or 'overly energetic' activity, and I think that may count among them".

I huffed, "Awww… and I thought you were fun, Sting" I say playfully.

"Hey…" Sting said, taken aback by my coy comment, "I can be _fun,_ just not when I've only recently woken from a coma, alright Natsu".

"Fine" I say happily, "Maybe we can do something… later"

"Maybe"

/

After our distraction I led Sting, by the hand, to the clearing. Once we found it I checked the time. It was only about ten o'clock. _Good, I've got some time alone with Sting then_ I think to myself. Still holding hands, we walked towards the largest tree infringing upon the border. Here we stopped and Sting sat at the base of the tree looking up to the sky and closing his eyes. "It's nice to be outside again, in the sunlight. As the White Dragon Slayer you don't know how much I've missed this, you know" Sting said slightly sleepily. "It's nice to see you so calm, Sting, given what happened to you recently" I say pleasantly, "Are you comfortable there?" I ask him.

He didn't respond for a few moments. "Yeah, I'll be fine, you go practice your flames".

"Your taking on your role as guild master too much, remember you're not _my_ master" I say jokingly.

Sting smiled but didn't respond. I smiled, although he couldn't see. I walked over to the center of the open field around us and began calling up flames to surround my body. "Fire Dragon Talon" I shouted leaping and slamming my foot into a tree. Then, whilst still airborne, I conjured flames to my fists and released a barrage of blows against the same unlucky tree I had viciously assaulted with my kick. Proceeding to go around to each tree in turn, using various techniques from 'Fire Dragon's Roar' to 'Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame'. Eventually I lay down in the middle of the clearing, panting and sweating.

"Looks like you're on top form, Natsu" I hear Sting's voice from his seat by the only undamaged tree in the clearing. I force my head up to look in his direction. He was grinning again, like he seemed to spend most of his time doing. He gave a thumbs up to me as I walked over to him. "Thank you, Sting, it's not like I stopped training when our guild became _number one in Fiore_ again" I said to him. His grin momentarily disappeared from his face as I reminded him that his guild was no longer top. He pouted slightly saying "Well, we've been number one longer than Fairytail ever has", then he smiled as I began scowling at him. "We were number one for waaaay longer than you and your guild" I say defensively. He raised his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, "Let's not fight, eh Natsu, not with this nice weather, alright?" I pout for a moment before nodding, smiling and then taking a seat next to Sting. Sting opened his eyes to look at me sitting shoulder to shoulder with him. I look up into his blue eyes again and then smiled. "You're not the only one who likes lounging around in the sun".

"Oh, really, you can sit around for more than five minutes" Sting said with mock surprise.

I returned to scowling at him, "'course I do, I like warmer weather the best".

" _Really, I never would've guessed"_ Sting said in a more sarcastic tone, "I mean you _are the Fire Dragon Slayer_ and all but I would've never believed _you_ like hot weather".

"Keep acting like this Sting and I would be spending that much time with you in Magnolia" I said returning his sarcastic tone with one of my own.

Sting wasn't sure if I was joking so returned to lounging around with his eyes closed, "Fine, fine, Natsu, you win, I'll behave" he said.

I rested my head on his shoulder. "That's better, you behave, alright" I said, also closing my eyes.

/

 **(a little while later)**

When we awoke it was past noon. I opened my eyes groggily to look around me. I was still resting on Sting's shoulder, however he had brought his head to rest on my own, his cheek pressing into the back of my head. "Damn it" I mutter, trying not to wake the guy sleeping next to me, "We must've gone to sleep". I push myself up from the slumped position I had maintained against the tree and took another look at Sting. A smile crept up my features as I observed him sleeping. He was cute, with his blond hair slightly covering up his features somewhat. He still retained the spikey look his hair normally kept however a tuft had grown from where he had been lying against the tree. I experimentally rubbed my thumb along his jawline to see if he'd wake up, however he nuzzled into my hand. _That's so adorable_ I thought as I watched the sleeping Sting rest his cheek in my hand. It was then that I heard him mumble.

"Natsu…" he said, still obviously asleep, "I think… I…" he continued, not giving any indication into what he was actually dreaming about saying. I listened intently to what he was saying, however I realized that Sting's mutterings were becoming quieter. Trying to muster all the power I had to listen into what Sting was incoherently muttering I could only grasp a few words.

'I…' and 'love…' was all I could make out.

 _Wait… did he just say he LOVES me?_

 _Maybe he's dreaming about somebody else?_

 _But... if not…_

/

 **Sting POV**

I woke to the sound of Natsu mumbling to himself about something. I could feel his hand on my cheek and I nuzzled further into it. "Hey Natsu" I said, still sleepy, "What's bothering you?".

"Oh, Sting… you're awake. Did I wake you?" he replied.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Alright, Natsu, what's up? You've just went from mumbling about something to 'everything's fine' so you must be trying to cover something up" I said to him. He tried to avoid my gaze, however he still answered my question. "It's nothing Sting, I was just… errr… planning something" Natsu said unsurely.

"Really Natsu?" I said monotone "You don't have to lie to me Natsu, oh… wait… is it for our date?" I perked up at the idea of Natsu having some big romantic plan for our date back at Magnolia.

"Sure" he said quickly. I smiled.

"Okay, fine… I'll let you plan in peace" I said, closing my eyes again momentarily. Then a thought popped into my head, "Hey, Natsu" I said, getting the Fire Dragon Slayer's attention, "What time is it?".

Natsu took a moment in responding. "It's past noon, but I don't know directly".

"Oh, okay, I just didn't want to have slept all day, alright. Oh, and by the way, you were sooooo cute when you fell asleep" I said, prodding the fire mage beside me. When I had awoken I had removed my head from resting on his and instead lay it back against the tree behind me. Natsu remained resting on my shoulder, however he had his arm around my shoulders, his hand in my cheek. Even when I had moved my head it remained there. And I don't mind.

Natsu looked up at me and I met his brown eyes with blue. He pouted. " _I'm_ _not cute_ " he said mockingly aggressive, "I'm a _Dragonslayer,_ we _aren't cute,_ we are _fierce_ ". I laughed and he joined in.

"You _could_ be fierce _and_ cute" I said to him, wanting to see how he would react. Despite all his protests he went a pleasant shade of pink, starting with his cheeks. _Damn it… that's even_ more _cute._ I thought to myself, trying to remove the other thoughts swimming about my head. Being this close to Natsu was beginning to introduce some… interesting thoughts into my head. "If it's past noon" I said, breaking the growing silence, "should we get back to town, or…" I trailed off, giving Natsu the chance to make the decision. He seemed to give it some thought then shook his head, "Nah" he said "I'd rather stay here… with _you_ ". The longing look he gave in his eyes melted me. I couldn't resist.

We kissed.

I leaned down and met his lips with my own. He accepted the action easily, and even deepened the kiss, begging for entrance into my mouth with his tongue to my lower lip. I allowed him to enter. The hand which had been cupping my cheek moved further up my head as he ran his fingers through the stands of my blond hair. In turn I pulled him in as close as possible with an arm around his shoulders and one around his waist to reach up his back. Using my hand, I traced small circles along the small of his back and he seemed to purr into the kiss. We broke for the air we both need to live and smiled as we looked into each other's eyes. _I think I might be… falling for him… am I in love_ I thought to myself as I looked at Natsu perfect features. We kissed again, this time more sweetly, I kept my hand rubbing circles into his back, however the other moved up to behind his head, where it twirled through his pink locks.

He smiled into the kiss and we broke away again, this time mutually agreeing to rest against the tree together. As my back rested against the tree I felt Natsu cuddle beside me, curled up slightly into me chest. He kept his arm around my shoulders however his hand drooped lazily down. His other hand rested on my thigh. I, in turn, had my arm around his waist and the other beside my own leg. We both were smiling lazily like idiots, I knew, however I didn't care. _I finally get to have Natsu all to myself, AND I get to spend the time in the best possible way._

/

We both nodded off being dragged back to the realms of sleep. Time passed and when we awoke Natsu reckoned it was about 3PM so we decided to go back. We shared one chaste kiss and then got up and headed out of the woods. Luckily Natsu remembered the way back to town, although I think it may have just been down to his sense of smell. My senses weren't back to full power yet, some sort of side effect of the magical drain I experienced inside that staff. It made me shudder to think of that dreaded thing, however seeing Natsu with me now made me think; _what would have happened had I not gotten hit and not fell into a coma._ I wondered if me and Natsu would still have gotten together.

 _It doesn't really matter_ I remind myself as I step to the side to avoid a tree branch, _Natsu's with you_ now _so what 'maybe' is there to be concerned about?_

When we reached town we went straight back to the doctor's house. The doctor greeted us at the door. "Good evening" he said flatly, "What kept you both so long, I knew you went out to train Mr. Dragneel, however I didn't think you'd be gone _this_ long, you've been out for hours. And I hope you haven't been putting Master Eucliffe under any sort of strain" he raised an eyebrow.

"No, no, nothing like that, I just got carried away and fell asleep, that's all" Natsu said, trying to cover the truth of our actions as best he could. I joined him, "We simply lost track of the time, sir".

"Well that's alright then, can't really blame you for wanting to be outside in this lovely weather when you've been in a bed for the last few days, eh" he chuckled slightly as he closed the front door.

"I hope you're not bothering them too much, dear" the voice of the doctor's wife sounded from the lounge.

"I'm not, dear" he said tiredly. He then turned to us. Whilst he had been heading for the lounge room we headed upstairs. "Boys," he said to get our attention, "You can probably head off tomorrow, if you want. If you still don't feel well Master Eucliffe then you could wait a couple more days. You should be fit as a fiddle in two more days" the doctor said cheerily, evidently happy about the idea of reclaiming the whole of his house.

"We can leave tomorrow?" I asked, making sure.

"Sure, as I've just said if your well enough then you won't need my help anymore" the doctor replied.

"Thank you for all your assistance, sir" I said politely, "I really would like to be getting back to Magnolia. I'll get Rogue in Sabertooth to send you the money we owe".

The doctor's features softened, "You don't need to pay my regular fee, Master Eucliffe, for a noble Guildmaster like yourself, you will only need to pay half, it's the least I can do for ensuring the guilds remain strong, alright?".

I nodded, "If that's what you want then fine".

"That'll be all Master Eucliffe".

/

After a final meal, prepared by the slightly saddened doctor's wife, me and Natsu headed to bed early. I stripped back down to my underwear and lay in the bed. Natsu curled up into his usual wooden chair, however after a few moments I prodded him. "Natsu," I whispered, "You don't need to sleep uncomfortably in that chair, why don't you join me here" I said to him. Natsu eyed me up and then uncurled from the chair. "Sting, if anyone walks in they'll know... about us" he said.

"So you don't accept this then?" I questioned him.

"It's not that... I just thought that we were trying to keep this quiet" he said, lowering his voice automatically, as if someone was actually listening to us.

"It'll be fine, Natsu, I'll just say that you were getting aches in your back from being in that chair so you lay next to me. Plus, your naturally raised body temperature would probably help me sleep" I said, trying my best to persuade him.

"Umm… well..." he stuttered, "Oh, alright…fine" he said, although even he couldn't hide the small smile that crept onto his mouth. He lay on top of the blankets, saying he didn't need them since he kept warm by himself. I didn't try to push the issue, I just turned to face him, or foreheads meeting and our mouths so close. We both smiled as we looked into each other's eyes. We kept smiling as we both drifted off to sleep.

/

 **The Next Morning**

The next morning, I awoke first to find Natsu's arms wrapped around me. I smiled and rested my face in Natsu's pink locks, taking in his scent. I'd never noticed previously, but he smelled _reeeeally_ good, kind of like Cinnamon and… maybe… wood fires. I lay there, eyes closed, taking in the scent, until I felt a wet sensation creep up my chest. I opened my eyes and looked down to see a grinning Natsu trailing kisses down my chest. He looked up into my open eyes and his grin grew. "Good morning" he said moving so that our eyes were level with each other. He tightened his arms around me and lightly pressed his lips against mine. Our kiss was brief but brimming with emotion, contentment, happiness.

I moved my arms so that they were pulled around Natsu muscular abdomen. "Good morning to you too" I said cheerily. I couldn't be sleepy when waking on such an incredible way. "How you feeling, Natsu?" I ask him pleasantly.

"Fine" he said making a move to sit up, "I slept like a log".

"Yeah me too" I said stretching, "But I couldn't have _not_ woken up to you like _that_ " I say, smiling as he gets up and out of the bed. I miss his warmth immediately, although I hadn't noticed before he always gave off loads of heat. _Yet another thing I've learned about him, and in such a short space of time_.

Natsu hands me my clothes, neatly folded again. _I could've sworn threw them in a pile last night_ I think as I take the offered clothing, _He must have folded them when I didn't notice_. "Come on Sting" he says energetically, "We've got a long day ahead".

"Yeah, I know Natsu, but why hurry, we could've spent a bit more time lying here… together".

"I can't help it, I _really_ want to get back to Magnolia" he said with big, shining eyes.

I couldn't argue with that cute puppy-face. "Fine, let's get some breakfast, then we can get ready and go, okay with you?".

"Alright" he said, beaming, as I slipped my blue vest over my shoulders, completing my usual outfit, "Let's go".

/

We went downstairs to be greeted by the doctor's wife. She sat us both down with a large plate of breakfast each. "My husband isn't awake yet so if you boys eat up and leave, he said to thank you for being such good house-guests" she said happily. We both smiled and thanked her in unison.

After eating we went upstairs to ensure we had everything we needed before we took the long way back to Magnolia. Despite the protests of the doctor as we left we both refused to take the train. Plus, the walk would give us a day alone.

As we left the town we bid farewell to the place we had made our home for the last few days. When we began walking Natsu made sure to keep pace with me. "You okay Sting, you've been walking slower than you were last time" Natsu said to me. I smiled to reassure him and nodded.

"I'm fine, just a little weakened more than last time" I said.

"Oh, alright then" Natsu said, concern still on his features, "Just tell me if you want to rest, 'kay?".

"Okay, I will" I said with a nod.

/

We didn't stop much on the walk back to Magnolia. Every so often my muscles, still not fully recovered required a few minutes of rest so I would stop and Natsu would hover around me as if I was some priceless piece of art needing his constant attention. _It was both adorable and annoying at times._

Eventually, quite some time after leaving Acalypha, we reached our goal. Magnolia was in sight.

/

 **Natsu POV**

As we neared the town I knew so well I caught a faint scent on the wind and once we neared the entrance my suspicions were confirmed. Waiting for us were Gray, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Happy (of course).

"The master told us to wait for you when we got word of you leaving Acalypha" Happy chirped, flying up to me and landing on my head. I patted him softly, it'd been a while since I last saw my best buddy.

"Hey, Natsu, how's the patient?" Gray said coolly,

"Yeah, he's fine" I respond before Sting can answer for himself, pointing my thumb behind me.

"Natsu, I got injured I didn't become mute, and I can speak for myself" Sting said following slightly behind me,

"Hey, I was just answering his question Sting" I snapped back at him. Lucy laughed, causing us both to turn to her before an argument began. "You two idiots just went through a hellish time and yet you still act as if it was nothing. Arguing, laughing, even walking all this way". I smiled at her. She was right, we had survived that ordeal in one piece. _And it turned out better than we were expecting_ … heh heh heh. I began laughing too, although for a different reason than everyone, except possibly Happy, would be expecting. Then Sting joined in, and finally Wendy. Carla just looked on with her usual look of contempt and Gray seemed more dumfounded at how me, Sting, Lucy and Wendy were giggling like children.

/

After our meeting at the gate I told them to return to the guild and tell the master that we were fine but tired, as it was pretty late when we arrived. Me and Sting had a quick discussion about whether we should each go to our separate homes or to the same place. After a few moments deliberation we agreed to go to the room that was rented out for him. _I don't really want to have him round my place with the mess it's in at the moment_ I thought to myself as we walked. Although we were silent, we were comfortable with it, both used to each other's presence now so no awkwardness arose. Until Sting spoke that is. "So… Natsu" he began, "now that were back at Magnolia, what do you think about us going on that _date_ we agreed on" he said smirking.

"Shhh… Sting, not so loud, here in Magnolia people know me and could be listening, you have to keep it quiet, remember?" I said in a hushed voice so that any onlookers wouldn't be overly suspicious.

"Alright, fine, I'll be more discrete, but seriously how long do you think it'll take for people work out what's going on between us" Sting said slyly.

"Look, I've got some ideas for the date, I'll just need a bit of time to prepare. How about after tomorrow? Since I'm sure the guild'll want to speak to you, master especially" I say to him.

"That sounds great, just give me a time and a place, alright, or alternatively just meet up with me at an arranged time" Sting says, a bit too much command in his voice, considering _I'm_ the one arranging everything.

 _Now I just need to actually_ make _the plans I claim to have._

/

When we got to Sting's room we unlocked the door and fell inside. Sting couldn't be bothered for anything else so he stripped down and clambered into bed. He then turned to look at me. "Why don't you join me, Natsu" he said, motioning for me to lay next to him. I complied and curled up beside him, both of our bodies uncovered by sheets or blankets. For the first time, besides that morning he failed to notice he was in his underwear, I actually got a good luck at his body. He was muscular, with tight muscles in his shoulders. His shoulders were broader than mine, with a bit more defined muscle in his arms. _Damn he looks good_ I think to myself, suppressing the urge to grope him. He caught my observational eye and then spoke. "Natsu, why don't you strip down too and then we can sleep properly?" Sting said, raising an eyebrow and giving a quick smirk. "I-I-" I stammered incoherently, making Sting's smile even broader. It hadn't occurred to me to strip down too, and now that this had been said I found myself feeling suddenly self-conscious. Despite my feelings, I wanted to feel, more than anything else, Stings body against my own and so I couldn't pass this opportunity.

So I got up off the bed and striped down. I threw my waistcoat to the floor first, shortly followed by my pants and sandals (which I hadn't realized I was still wearing), until I was down to only my underwear. Sting eyed me with the look of a predatory animal as I lay back down beside him. Despite my lack of clothing I still felt warm, mostly thanks to my Fire Dragon Slayer magic. Sting seemed to notice this too and wriggled closer to me, wrapping his arms around me as he does so. He kissed me on the forehead and then whispered in my ear, "I know I'd like to spend more time with you now that we're back in Magnolia, Natsu, but I'm sorry I'm just too tired tonight" he said apologetically.

"It's fine Sting, just wait 'till the morning, I'll still be here, alright?".

Sting didn't speak he just nodded.

/

 **The Next Morning**

After last night I woke with a semi-hard on. Desperately trying to hide it I swiveled so that my front was away from Sting, who was now unconsciously spooning me. He had his arm wrapped around my chest and from my position I could feel his shallow breath's against my back and neck. _He's still asleep_ I thought, his breathing pattern and smell confirmed this. _Best not wake him, he'll probably be busy today, but tonight…_

 _He'll be all mine._

/

 **A Short While Later**

Sting woke about half an hour later and when he did, I was thankful that my semi-hard on was gone, mostly through sheer force of will and the mental bombardment of as many unappealing images as I could think of. "G' morning, Natsu" he said sleepily.

"Good morning, Sting" I said, a lot more alert than him. "I know your tired Sting but it's about time to get up, it'll be a busy day today".

Sting opened his eyes, however he simply closed them again moments later falling into a mock-sleep. I shoved his body, rocking it back and forth until he had to get up. "Come on Sting" I said, a little anger raised in my voice. "Alright, alright, I'm getting up"

"Good" was all I replied. Whilst he had been sleeping I had formulated a plan for our date and I was eager to make the arrangement, however first I needed to get his lazy but luscious ass back to Fairytail so that we can formerly complete the job I was sent on in the first place.

 _I'll take him to my favorite restaurant, then maybe a short walk around Magnolia. I could take him to see the cherry blossom tree's and the forest. Then maybe go someplace that'll interest him. Finally, I'll take him back to my place… and then maybe we could do something more_ interesting.

 _This date's gotta go perfectly._

 **End of Chapter 6**


	7. Chapter 7 - Preparations and Revelations

**Chapter 7 – Preparations and Revelations**

 **Sting POV**

After Natsu urging me on we left the apartment much earlier than I would've liked. He led me through the inn's hallways and down the stairs by the hand, however he quickly dropped it after we saw the clerk at the desk. "Good morning, Master Sting, Mister Dragneel, is there anything you need help with?" she said, smiling politely. I shook my head, "No, we're good, thanks" I said as Natsu and me walked off to exit the inn before any lengthy conversation was made between ourselves and the clerk.

"Natsu," I said, getting the Fire mage to slow down once we were clear of the building, "Why'd you hold my hand back there, you did say we need to be discreet, remember?". Natsu simply smiled.

"I just wanted to see how long we could go before we had to stop, okay" he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "When we get to the guild, though, I'm gonna give Gramps my report and then I've gotta go do some… errr… _things_ , alright?"

"You mean for our date, don't worry Natsu, I _want_ this to be a surprise, so I'll just hang around the guildhall. I'll tell _Master_ Makarov that I still need at least a day to recuperate before I finish my examination of the guild, that'll make sure I'm still here when it comes time" I said, trying desperately to quell the excitement bubbling in my chest, but failing as more and more images of Natsu and me on a date flickered through my mind. _I'll have to make sure I don't give anything away was well, don't want to be interrupted tonight._

"Come on then Sting" Natsu said from a few paces in front of me. Only then did I realise that I must've spaced out whilst I imagined me and Natsu out on a date. _Gonna have to watch out for that too, can't go spacing out all day either._

"Alright, I'm coming Natsu" I said cheerily.

/

When we got to the guildhall it was unusually tidy and quiet. Everyone was in their seats, chatting or muttering amongst themselves. The Master, Erza, Mirajane, Happy, and Gray all sat or stood around the bar. Once we arrived they all got up and walked over, meeting us halfway to getting to them. Makarov was in the lead, flanked by Erza and Mirajane, and then following behind them was Lucy, Gray and Happy, who floated around Gray's shoulder height.

"Good morning, Master Sting" Makarov said, a note of care in his voice, "how are you?".

I smiled, saying "I'm fine Master Makarov, after another day or so I should be back to my old self". _Let's see if he'll buy into it._

"That's good to hear, and don't worry, I'll wait as long as you need to before the examination recommences, but before that I think I'll need to officially complete the mission Natsu was sent on" Makarov said, straight to the point. "Shall we go to my office?".

"Yes, we should. Natsu'll need to come with us, correct?"

"Yes, he will" Makarov said, gesturing for me and Natsu to follow him to his office. Natsu had been in small huddle with Lucy, Erza, Gray and Happy, whilst Makarov and I engaged in the usual formalities. Natsu broke off from the group and came to fall into step beside me as Makarov lead us to his office.

Once we arrived Makarov quickly ushered us inside and closed the door. He took a seat behind his desk, with us sitting opposite him. "Well, that job could've gone better" he said openly, "but at least your both back alive and well". I looked at him sheepishly.

"Yeah, for a couple of Dragonslayers that seemed to go about as bad as possible" I admitted, gaining a sudden look of surprise from Natsu.

"It didn't go _that_ badly, Sting" he said quickly, "You could've _died_ , but you are still alive so there were some worse possibilities".

"That's true, Natsu, but still…" Makarov trailed off. I quickly caught his train of thought.

"Don't worry" I blurted out, startling him slightly, "It was my fault I was injured and I have no intention of holding this against Fairytail, this is another pass". Makarov seemed a little more relieved. _Good_ I thought _I can't_ not _pass Fairytail, especially if I want to continue seeing Natsu._

"So, Sting, how _did_ you get so injured?" Makarov asked, it was his business to know about the success of missions by his guild after all.

"W-well…" I stuttered. I suddenly realized how awkward it would sound if I just admitted that I jumped in front of a potentially _fatal_ spell just for the sake of a wizard from another guild. Especially considering my actions during the Games, and the fact that Natsu had just spent that last few days playing nurse to me. _Damn it, how do I phrase this for it not to sound weird?_ I thought in a panic. Whilst I sat there dumbstruck Natsu took the initiative and spoke up before I could respond. "Well, it began okay, I took out most of the dark guild by myself, but then it turned bad once we went to get the staff". Makarov took heed of Natsu and nodded. "Alright," he said, signaling his understanding, "So how did it go from you, Natsu, defeating a whole guild to Sting on his death bed?". Natsu also furrowed his brow in confusion, albeit momentarily. "R-right, well… once we entered the chamber where the staff was supposed to be we were ambushed and the guy with the staff fired it at the two of us. Sting, sorta… well…" Natsu was finding it just as difficult as me to phrase this.

"Just spit it out Natsu" Makarov snapped, he didn't seem to want to wait for us to make up our minds. I gave in and just told the truth. "What happened was this, we were ambushed, the spell cast by the staff and I… threw Natsu out of the way, whilst still getting caught myself". Both mine and Natsu shoulders sagged as I said this. Makarov went quiet as he processed the information. When he spoke it was slow and deliberate. "So, Sting, you put your life on the line in order to save a wizard not even from your own guild?" it may have been a question, or a statement. I didn't want to respond less I give away anything else, like _why_ I did it.

The response Makarov gave, however, startled me. "Thank you!" he shouted jumping over the desk to land in the space between my chair and his desk. "You saved the life of one of my children, even at the cost of your own. You will always be a friend and ally in Fairytail's eyes.".

"I-I… will?" I asked, suddenly unsure of what was happening.

"Yes, of course you are, Master Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth" Makarov's face was beaming with a serious happiness. Natsu cracked up laughing beside we, suddenly attracting both my and Makarov's attention. "What's so funny Natsu?" I ask him, a hint of anger in my voice at him ruining this quite surprising but pleasant moment. Natsu stood up and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I told you there would be nothing to worry about" he said. _He has NEVER said anything like that, he must be covering up from another idea he's just had_.

Suddenly grateful that Natsu seemed to be able to think on his feet I returned my attention to Makarov, who's features still wore a mask of happiness. "Okay, Natsu, settle down" he said, "If that's all that happened then I can fill in the report and file the mission as complete and successful". I nodded,

"Yes, that's all that happened, oh… and if you don't mind sir, could you tell me where Magnolia's post office is". Now it was Makarov's turn to look surprised.

"What do you need to do at the post office?" he asked.

"I've gotta contact Sabertooth, in case they're worrying about me, and I've gotta get them to send my doctor's bill".

"Fairytail would be happy to help you pay for that, after all you were injured on one of _our_ job's" Makarov said, a sense of seriousness returning to his elderly face.

I shook my head, "It was _my_ fault I allowed myself to get injured so we'll be paying the bill, plus the doctor said we only needed to pay half because of my status, _and_ it's not like Sabertooth is short on funds".

"Well, if that's your decision then fine, Master Sting" Makarov said, returning to his desk chair, "As for the post office I'll have Mirajane take you later, they owe me a favor so I should be able to get that letter sent double time with half cost", Makarov shot me a friendly smile. _He really is a friendly little man, and I can't reject his kind offer._

"Alright, I'll go with Mirajane later, but first I think I'll need some breakfast" I said, getting out of my chair. Makarov motioned to get up and we shook hands. "Good to see you're okay Master Sting" he said as I turned to leave, Natsu walking out beside me. "See ya Gramps" he said, waving behind him.

/

Once we got outside the office and into the hall way me and Natsu stopped and faced each other. Natsu was grinning from ear to ear and I just wanted to kiss that face into submission. "Why are you grinning like that Natsu?" I asked him, trying to distract myself from the new thoughts entering my mind. Natsu shrugged, "I don't know, friend of Fairytail, _Master Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth"_ he said, slightly sarcastically. I punched him in the arm, harder than I had intended but having the intended effect. "What, Natsu, your mocking me for _that_ " I said, a slight blush of embarrassment touching my cheeks, which I tried to will away immediately. Natsu noted my blushing face and laughed again, harder than before. I tried to control myself, however my blush deepened. Natsu stopped laughing once he became light headed enough. He steadied himself against the corridor wall, pushing me against it. I looked left and right, however no-one was in sight. That was when Natsu pressed his lips against mine in a soft but sweet kiss.

The kiss was short lived, however, as I pulled away from Natsu. We couldn't afford to be doing this here with what we had planned later this evening. Natsu seemed confused by my efforts to remove him from pressing up against me so I whispered in his ear, "We can't be seen doing this _here_ , so why don't you go get those plans of yours ready and then we can go on that date". Natsu gave me a look of wanting, trying to kiss me again despite my warning, however we never got any closer than our lips brushing against each other. "No, Natsu" I said a bit more harshly this time. This finally got a reaction from the Fire Dragon Slayer. "Oh, alright Sting" he said, his voice raised slightly. I reminded him that the Masters office was still nearby, and he immediately lowered his tone. "Your no fun, Sting, isn't the point of sneaking around to make this… I don't know… more _exciting_ " Natsu said, raising his eyebrow. I held up my hands. "This is your guild, Natsu, you can tell them what you want. But you can't speak for me".

He was about to reply to this but he was cut off by a high pitched whine emanating from further down the corridor. "Natsuuuuu…" Happy cried, flying over to his friend. Happy crashed into the Fire Dragon's open arms and was brought into a hug. "I missed you" the blue cat said as Natsu cradled him in his arms. Then the furry blue face turned to me. He took in the distance between me and Natsu, as well as the fact I was pressed against the wall still and smiled an all too knowing smile. "Sooo…" he said, turning back to Natsu, "Did anything _interesting_ happen on your mini-break Natsu?" Happy said. Natsu smiled and nodded. A brief shot of panic worked its way through me. _Had this exceed worked out what we were doing this quickly?_ My thoughts once again began spiraling into full panic mode as I tried to work out if Natsu's partner had already figured out, or at least if he knew anything. Natsu quite quickly noticed the panic in my eyes and placed his hand on my shoulder, allowing his exceed buddy to fly free. He then brought his face up to mine and kissed me.

Another shot of panic ran through me however, as Natsu raised his hand to my cheek, I realised that the exceed did not seem surprised by these actions at all. _He must know about us already_ I thought to myself, allowing myself to melt into Natsu's kiss momentarily, before reasserting my other fears and pushing him away again. Natsu took a step back standing somewhere halfway between the spot Happy was flying at and where I was pushed up against the wall. "He knows already Sting" Natsu said, confirming my guess, "I kinda… well… told him that I liked you before we went on that mission".

I took in this information and then looked at the exceed. "We don't want anyone else to know yet, Happy, so you gotta keep this a secret" I say, narrowing my eyes at Happy.

"Aye, sir" he says smiling, "Natsu already made me promise, so I will. Your secret's safe with me" he said with a wink.

/

Once I had settled that with Happy, all three of us went down to the main section of the guild. As soon as we arrived at the bottom of the stairs we were rained upon with cheers. Everyone in the guild came up to me and Natsu, giving their apologies, asking if I was okay and even berating Natsu for 'allowing me to get into such a state'. Once the initial shock washed over me, I began thanking people for their kindness as I pushed my way through the throng with Natsu at my back, trying desperately to avoid Erza as he didn't want to have to explain the reason I was injured to her. I shudder to think how she'd react.

After a few minutes of explanations and thank-you's me and Natsu were finally able to claim a table to ourselves. Mirajane helped a lot in shooing away some of the nosey mages and then turned to take our order. The prices for food at fairytail seemed reasonable so I ordered a standard meal and a coffee, whilst Natsu ordered from his own, specific menu. Once we had ordered we began to talk.

"Sooooo… if you're going to be gone for most of the day do you mind if I spent some time hanging around with the other guild members, or would that make you _jealous_?" I said, seeing if Natsu would react to my sarcasm.

"Of course you can hang around with my friends, just don't go doing anything you _would_ do with me" Natsu said with a small smirk.

"So what, I can't talk to them but I can hang around like an annoying fly?" I said, also forming a smirk.

"Yep… just make sure you don't do anything that's too _obvious_ 'cause you know that it'll spread rumors if anyone suspects" Natsu said with a little more seriousness in his tone.

"Okay, fine, fine, I'll make sure I'm _extra_ careful around your guild mates, and likewise, you don't go making it too obvious what we're doing tonight, alright?" I said, eyeing him up with mock suspicion.

"Fine, it's a deal" Natsu said, as Mirajane walked over to us with our orders.

As she set the food and drinks down in front of us she smiled, "What's a deal?" she said pleasantly.

"W-well… i-it's…" I stuttered. Once again Natsu had to come in for the save.

"It's just a little bet we had Mira, nothing you need to know about" Natsu said, beginning to eat his way through the food he ordered.

She smiled and bent her head in a small bow before leaving us in peace. She knew when it was best to leave things be, however I suspected that she'd be eaves dropping in on my conversations for the rest of the day. I groaned at that thought, which caused Natsu to pause, next bite of food halfway to his mouth. "What's wrong Sting?" he asked, suddenly concerned, "Is the food not agreeing with you?". _Damn it, he doesn't realise the position he's just put me in._

"Errr… Natsu, you do realise that Mirajane will probably be listening in to us now that you told her to leave it, right?" I questioned the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"What? Mira? Nah, she'd not do that, you're just becoming paranoid Sting" he said obliviously.

 _I hope he's right._

/

 **Natsu POV**

We chatted in between eating for the next half an hour or so before I decided to leave for an 'errand'. Before I left I introduced Sting more closely with Lucy, Gray and Erza and decided to leave him in their 'capable' hands. He seemed to get on well with Gray as I'm pretty sure I heard sounds of them two fighting like me and Gray would normally just as I left. _He would totally fit in here_ I thought as I exited through the big guild hall doors.

I had been spending the last few hours devising a more detailed plan of events for tonight. Firstly, I needed to go to the restaurant I thought would be ideal for an inconspicuous date; a place called 'Dragon's Hearth'. It had been named after me when I'd saved Magnolia from that mad dragon women… errr… what was her name… Dolphin… anyways, it was one of my favorite places to eat and I thought that Sting might appreciate the idea behind it. I walked into the restaurant with a smile on my face. One of the waitress's who'd been working here as long as I'd been going recognized me and came straight over. "Hello, Mr Dragneel" she said with practiced politeness, "Do you want your usual order and a table for one?" she asked. I held up my hands, "No, not right now anyways" I said "I need to make a reservation".

"Certainly, how many are coming?"

"Just me and one other"

"Okay, and would you rather have a private room or a standard table?"

"Is there much difference in price?" I asked. I know it was cheap to ask the price, especially when it was for a date, however I hadn't been able to work until I'd completed my assigned job and so I was a bit short on funds.

"For you, Mr Dragneel, the manager will allow for a private room at half price, that's 2,000 jewel".

I took a moment to think about it. "Alright, I'll take the private room". H _e'd better appreciate this._

Once the reservations were made I then proceeded to the next step of my plan; the cherry blossom tree. I quickly made my way through the crowded streets and wandered up to the large and beautiful tree. I'd climbed the tree many times when I was younger, however I was always caught, dragged off and scolded by Gramps. I made a silent apology in my head. _Sorry Gramps, but this idea's too good_ I thought as I took a running leap and clambered up the tree branches. Once I was around mid-height I stopped. From here I could see all of Magnolia Central Park and I picked the most perfect spot by which me and Sting could see the tree. I jumped down and landed with a thud, quickly running over to the spot I had just picked. I placed a rock in the exact location and then hid some _very_ _special_ items in a nearby bush, covering them with a blanket and some grass to keep them hidden. Not that anyone would get their significance anyway, even if they stumbled upon them.

Finally, the last thing I needed to prepare was the route back to my house. If anyone in Magnolia, especially if they were from the guild, were to see me and Sting walking in the direction of my house, _together_ , then rumors would _definitely_ be spreading. I walked through the less crowded streets, deep in thoughts about what to do when I got Sting to my house when I was stopped, eclipsed by looming shadow. "Natsu, real men stop when people are talking to you".

"Hey Elfman, what's up?" I inquire, as the mountain of a man glowered down at me.

"Lisanna was lookin' for you, said she has something important to talk to you about" he boomed.

"Oh, okay, thanks Elfman, I've just gotta go get something at my house first, then I'll go see Lisanna. Is she at the guild?"

"She went to the market about twenty minutes ago, if you've got stuff to do then you should probably head to the guild after that. She should be there then"

"That's fine, see ya Elfman" I said ducking under the Takeover mage's arm in order to set back on course and also resume my thoughts and plans.

"See you around Natsu" I heard Elfman say as his voice grew fainter, heading back to the guild.

"Wonder what she wants to talk to me about?" I said aloud as I entered the woods on the outskirts of Magnolia. A thought struck me, _what if she's worked out me and Sting. I told her I liked someone, and I told Happy. He seemed to think it was pretty obvious when we were back at the guild earlier, maybe she's figured it out too._

I wandered up to my house and crept inside, closing the door and putting my back to it. "I'll have to see, won't I". Preceding to shift about my house I set everything up for Sting's arrival later that night.

Assuming everything goes to plan.

/

 **Sting POV**

As soon as Natsu left for his 'errand' I felt suddenly quite alone. Since the incident on the job we'd not really been apart and now that he was gone it felt quite strange. Those lonely thoughts were quite quickly forgotten as Gray spoke to me though. "Sooo… Master of Sabertooth, what's that like?" Gray said, obviously trying to make some sort of conversation to avoid awkwardness. "It's actually really hard work" I replied, trying to formulate more than one sentence at a time and failing miserably. "It's… err… quite a lot of responsibility, and with us being so high up on the guild rankings we're constantly getting flooded with new requests".

"Yeah, Gramps seems to be a lot busier now that _we're_ number one again" Gray said, seeming casual, but with some underlying sneer.

"Heh, we've _always_ been busy as long as I've been at Sabertooth" I said with matching his balanced tone of casual tones and ridicule. Gray tried to remain cool and level headed, however I could see the small amounts of anger building up in him. I think Lucy saw it too since she immediately attempted to change the subject. "How's Yukino doing?" she said quickly.

"Oh, she's fine. She's been a big help in the changes I've been making to the guild" I said politely.

"That's good to hear. When she joined Sabertooth I hoped she'd be happy, but at the same time I kinda wanted her to join Fairytail" Lucy said.

"Well it's too late now" I said taking on a sarcastic tone, "She's ours… _forever_ ".

Lucy just pouted. "She's still a person, you know Sting". I couldn't help but laugh.

Lucy joined in too, until Gray interrupted again. "She'd be a bigger asset to you, since we've already got a powerful enough Celestial Wizard".

"Gray!" Lucy said with surprise and anger, "You can't talk about people like that, Yukino is just as powerful as me, and would be equally at home in both guilds, right Sting?" she looked to me. Wondering how I should deal with this situation I just smiled and nodded. Gray seemed to calm down a bit. Especially when Erza came over. When Natsu had left Erza had went to see the Master, leaving me, Lucy and Gray alone. "What's all the commotion about, Gray?" she asked sternly.

"Nothing Erza" Gray said, slightly too aggressively for Erza's liking. She grabbed him and held him in sort of head lock. "You wouldn't be trying to cause trouble for Master Sting, would you now Gray?" she asked again, voice still level. I smirked as Gray nodded hesitantly. "I-I... was just making conversation" he blurted. "Good" she said flatly, releasing him from her grip. I smiled and nodded my head at her. She smiled back. _That's more unnerving than seeing her attack Gray just now_ I thought fearful that she'd somehow read my thoughts. "If you need anything at all, Master Sting, then don't hesitate to ask, I'm _sure_ everyone in the guild will be happy to assist you in any way possible". With that she turned and left, grabbing Gray and dragging him along with her. "Wha-… Erza, what are you doing?" he protested as she hauled him away.

"Well… that's Erza for you" Lucy said from beside me.

"Yeah…" I said, watching on with vague amusement.

/

 **Sometime later**

It was around 4 o'clock before I finally saw Natsu again. Mirajane had taken me to post the letter to the guild. The clerk at the office didn't seem to have much trouble with the Master's request. _Seems Makarov has quite the handle on things here in Magnolia_. I couldn't help but be impressed, since I'd become the Master of Sabertooth I hoped to make our guild strong. Not just powerful, but strong, with bonds between the members, just like the Fairy Tail guild, and in order to do that I figured I'd need to be more like Makarov.

I was sitting alone at a table in the guildhall. The only person who'd approached to talk to me recently was Mirajane, who just asked me if I needed anything. I smiled politely and requested a cup of coffee, remembering intently how perfect she could make it. Natsu saw me immediately and his face lit up. He marched over and sat opposite me leaning over the table with a smile in his face. "Hey Sting, how's your day been?" he said, trying to look nonchalant.

My face formed my usual grin. "It's been alright" I said, "Mira took me to send a letter to the guild, should have arrived sometime later today".

"That's good, at least you weren't bored. How's the injuries?" he asked with natural concern.

"They're getting better, should be back to normal in a while" I said, making sure that if anyone was listening they'd hear the story we decided on earlier, on the walk back to Magnolia. I quickly lowered my voice, however, as my inquisitive nature got the best of me. "How's everything for our _arrangement_?".

"It's all ready, I'll meet you at 8PM in front of the guild, alright?".

"Yeah, that's fine. You got anything else going on right now?"

"Oh… I gotta go see Lisanna, Elfman said she wants to speak to me" he said, taking note of the brief suspicion I felt. _Has he told her? As far as I know he only told Happy… but they are really close._ "Does she… um… _know_?" I gulped.

"Well… kinda… you see, she knows I… um… _like_ someone, just not that its… well…" he stuttered.

"Oh, alright then…" I didn't really know what to say, " _Are_ you gonna tell her?"

"Not really, not yet anyway" he said, his head turning as he picked up the scent of Lisanna coming down from the upper floor. "I should really go…" he seemed reluctant to leave.

"Yeah, you should, don't let me stop you Natsu" I said, smiling to reassure him. He returned it, and, just as he came, he left with a smile.

I watched his retreating back, and my smile slowly vanished. I wanted Natsu to stay with me, but this was something he had to do. Especially since all evidence I had said that Lisanna Straus, the girl who died and came back, was in love with Natsu Dragneel.

/

 **Natsu POV**

Walking up to Lisanna my heart began to flutter with worry. _Has she figured it out? Was I too obvious?_ Was all I could think as I approached her.

"Natsu, hey, Natsu…" she called, waving as I neared.

"Uh… hey Lisanna" I said. She ran up and enveloped me with a hug. A pang of worry shot through me as I realised that Sting could see us. "Err… Lisanna…" I said, trying to breathe.

"Oh… sorry Natsu" she said apologetically, "Did Elfman tell you to see me?".

"Yeah, I bumped into him earlier, sorry I couldn't have come find you sooner" I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"Its fine Natsu, I've just finished helping big sis in the kitchens, I didn't realise what the time was and was actually coming to find you."

"Well, it looks like you succeeded" I said, shooting her a friendly smile, which she returned.

"Natsu, I gotta ask you something, but should we go somewhere quieter first?".

"Suuuure…" I said, my suspicions rising.

"Oh good, come with me, we'll talk in the infirmary". With that she led me by the hand into the infirmary, and again I became aware of what Sting would see. _I may have some explaining to do later_.

/

Once the infirmary doors were closed and we made sure the coast was clear Lisanna grew a big grin. "Sooo… have you told them yet?" she asked.

"What-?" I asked, mildly shocked.

"You said you liked someone before you went on that job, have you told them yet?" she seemed to get a little impatient.

"Uhh… well…" I couldn't find the right words to explain things. _Would Sting be okay if I told her?_

"Come on Natsu, just tell me, alright. No one else'll know". She puffed up her cheeks in irritation.

My shoulders sagged. "Alright Lisanna, you win. Yes, I've told them".

"Really Natsu?".

"Yeees…".

"Good, and how did they respond?"

"They were okay with it actually. No, they were better than okay." I shot her another smiled, this time one more devious than the last.

"Natsuuu… you didn't do anything _else_ did you?" she seemed a little _too_ interested in my love life.

"No, we haven't done anything else. _Yet._ ".

"Don't be rude Natsu" she snapped, before opening the doors and leaving in a hurry.

"Come on I'm just playing around; we're just starting off so things aren't too serious yet. You seem very interested in this".

"Oh… erm… well, I just wanted to say…"

"Spit it out Lisanna, you just wanted to say what?"

"Well… _I can't do this_ ".

"Wait- Lisanna…" she ran off, out of the infirmary and out of the guild.

"Well… that could've gone better" Sting said, walking over to me.

"You were eavesdropping?!" I was shocked.

"Nah, but I just wanted to see how things went and well…" he turned his head in the direction Lisanna had just run off to.

"I don't know why she did that, honestly, first she asks me if I told the 'person' I liked them and the next thing she's running out of the door at top speed" I couldn't understand why. Sting face palmed.

"Natsu, you idiot…" he groaned.

/

 **Sting POV**

After seeing Lisanna so viciously hug Natsu, I just couldn't sit still. I wanted to run up and protect him, claim him. For the first time ever in a relationship dragon-enhanced instincts were screaming at me, but I ignored them, forced them down. Then when she whispered something to him I just couldn't take it. Seeing them heading for somewhere more private I followed discretely. Hanging around outside the infirmary discretely was next to impossible, however I tried by making it seem as if I was lost in thought, staring out of the window. When the doors flung wide and Lisanna barreled out I figured Natsu must've told her, however when I got inside and I saw his adorable face crumpled in confusion, I became as flummoxed as he looked.

"Well… that could've gone better" I said, entering the room and closing the door behind me.

"You were eavesdropping?!" he seemed shocked.

I quickly decided to rectify things. "Nah, but I just wanted to see how things went and well…" I said turning my head in the direction Lisanna had just run off to.

"I don't know why she did that, honestly, first she asks me if I told the 'person' I liked them and the next thing she's running out of the door at top speed".

I couldn't believe he was this oblivious. Nose of a Dragonslayer, powers of a mighty dragon itself, brain of a goldfish.

I face palmed, "Natsu, you idiot…" I groaned. He looked at me and his confusion deepened, the face he pulled made me go mushy, immediately regretting my actions. "Oh, Natsu…" I breathed out.

I sat beside him on a hospital bed and put my arm around his shoulders. "Why'd she do it, Sting?" he asked me, asking for the answers I really didn't want to admit. "Err… Natsu… how long have you known Lisanna?" I pushed for answers, seeing if he'd come to the revelation on his own.

"Ever since I've been at Fairy Tail really… I met her when we were kids".

"Alright, and do you know how she, ummm… thinks of you?"

"Well, kinda… I mean… ooooh". The penny finally dropped.

"Yes Natsu, she was upset because she _likes_ you. She probably didn't want to admit that you had feelings for someone else and now she's in a bit of denial" I said, trying to inform him more clearly of the situation.

"I'm gonna have to go speak to her, aren't I?" he said, looking to me for confirmation.

"I think your gonna have to tell her the truth, about us. It might hurt her more but it should help her understand better, alright?"

"Yeah… maybe…" he sulked, evidently fearful of how she might react. _I wish I could help you more, Natsu, but this is something you've gotta deal with._


	8. Chapter 8 - A Date Between Dragons

Chapter 8 - A Date Between Dragons

 **Sting POV**

Natsu went very quiet. I hadn't seen him this quiet since before the job, on the walk from Magnolia. "Natsu…" I held him against me. My arms wrapped around his muscular shoulders, his head resting on my shoulder. I didn't care what it could look like if someone walked in, Natsu was worried and confused and I _needed_ to help him.

I'd had relationships before, however with Natsu it was different, I'd never felt this… _attached_ , and suddenly I had all these new feelings rising inside me. The fluttery feeling I'd felt several times now, the strong urge to be with Natsu, to not let him out of my sight. Again I was left thinking, _Is this love?_

Not that it matters at this moment, all that matters right now is that Natsu needs to speak to Lisanna, to set the record straight, and to free her (hopefully) from her attachment to Natsu so she can move on. "Come on Natsu… you know you've gotta speak to her" I nudged him with my shoulder. He huffed. "I don't know Sting… Lisanna's nice but she can have quite a temper, she could say something she might regret, or even worse… she could tell everyone…" he sighed deeply. I rested my head on his and allowed my arm to slip lower down his body, stopping at his waist. "I know Natsu, there's risk… there's always risk… but you've gotta tell her, she'll feel better, even if it's not immediate, and you'll feel better too" I said comforting him but still not giving up my persuasion. He did not speak but looked up at me. He looked into my eyes and I into his. Those deep brown eyes, so perfect. There was a fire in them no one person could extinguish, even me, and that was driven by a strong will to help and protect his friends and his guild. He would tell her, because he also knows it should help her to move on and for things to get better. "Alright Sting, I'll do it" he said finally.

I smiled at him.

 _He cares about everyone, and even if he's afraid he'll still try to make everything better_.

/

 **Natsu POV (about ten minutes later)**

After Sting persuaded me I went off in search of Lisanna. In order to stop any rumors circulating I left the infirmary and Sting would leave after a few more minutes to make things seem inconspicuous. Some rumors were unavoidable, however, as people had just seen Lisanna run out of the infirmary after talking to me alone.

I found Lisanna after a few minutes, she would always come to one of a limited number of places when she was upset, which was a rare event in itself. She stood on the fringes of Magnolia looking into the river from the base of a tree. I approached cautiously, wary of her running away again. I didn't want to have to chase her down, especially since I was conscious of the time for once. I did have a date to go on, after all.

"Uh… hey… Lisanna" I said, greeting her quietly. She didn't reply so I sat down a little way away from her. She turned her head away from the river and away from me, meaning she did acknowledge my presence. We both sat in silence for a while. I looked into the stream, looking at my reflection, and occasionally flicking my eyes over to her. Eventually she responded.

"What do you want Natsu?" she asked, quite coldly.

"Erm… I wanted to know why you ran off before" I stated plainly.

"Don't pretend to be more stupid than you are Natsu, it's not very nice to lie to people. I know you know why I was upset… it's just…" she drifted off, eyes turning back to the river.

"You don't need to explain it to me Lisanna, but I just wanted you to know something. I've always liked you, as a sister". She didn't reply so I continued. "You see… I've always been different, called names, picked on, told I was lying about Igneel, none of this bothered me, I knew who I was and I didn't care what others thought". Lisanna stopped her gazing into the river back and shuffled a little closer to me. "I know, Natsu, it's one of the reasons I've always liked you".

"But there was one thing I _was_ afraid of people finding out. One thing I always thought signaled me as different. Over time I accepted it within myself, but couldn't come to act on it. This changed however, when I met someone very special". She looked at me with an intensity that I'd never seen before. "You're talking about your _friend_." She said with a hint of anger. I became wary. "Well… umm… yes" I admitted.

"But you see, Lisanna… how should I say this? That is… that…" and I fell apart. "The person I'm seeing, well, when I said it was a new relationship I wasn't lying. It's _very_ new, only a few days old in fact. Because…".

"Come on Natsu just tell me, if you are going to that is" Lisanna said flatly.

"The one thing I'd always feared people learning about me, the one thing I worried about when I was growing up, even now is that I'm, well… gay" I said finally.

Lisanna looked at me. Her stare burrowed straight into me, straight through me. "Oh…" was all she could managed to say. Eventually, after a few moments to recover she spoke again. "So who's the _guy_ you've been seeing then, Natsu?" she seemed both shocked and calm. It was unnerving to say the least. I rubbed the back of my head. "Well… its… Sting".

"So you finally admit it Natsu" a voice said from behind me.

/

I stood up and whirled to face the source of the voice, naturally assuming a fighting stance without even realising it.

Mirajane stood, smiling, with her head cocked to the side. "Hiya Natsu" she said.

"Mira…umm… why are you here?" I said, trying to avoid the question which needed to be asked.

"Natsu, I was just looking for my little sister, that's all" she said, her smile still static on her face.

"And… um… what did you…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Yes, Natsu, I heard, because… well… turn around" she pointed at somewhere behind me. I turned to see Lisanna smiling with a big grin plastered on her face. "It took you long enough to tell me Natsu" she said.

"What?" I said, dumbstruck. Lisanna giggled, and Mira began quickly too. "What?" I repeated. They both began giggling even more. Eventually Mira spoke, in between a few pants for breath. "You see, Natsu, Lisanna told me what you said… before you left for that job, and it… left me thinking who it could be. For some reason no one… in the guild sprang to mind as the right fit for you" she said, regaining her breath.

"When I was in the kitchens with Mira before we talked, Mira had been observing you and Sting both this morning and yesterday. We both saw how you two acted, especially considering how you two had acted before the job and well… we kinda guessed what was going on." Lisanna said, still smiling.

"It was my idea to find out, so Lisanna said she'd pretend to get upset when you told her about who you were seeing to lure you out here where I could listen in" Mira said with a slightly too devious smile. _Demon inside and out._

"Pretty good acting, eh Natsu".

"Well… yeah. So you weren't upset?" I asked, still a little confused.

"Well, Natsu, I _do_ like you, but I've known since we were little you weren't in love with me. It's nice to know you've found someone though." Lisanna blushed, and her eyes went to the ground.

"Natsu…" a voice called out from a distance. Sting.

/

 **Sting POV**

I waited in the infirmary like we agreed, however I wanted to be there for Natsu when he told Lisanna. As soon as I left the infirmary I wandered out of the guild as casually as I could. As I was leaving, Happy stopped me and questioned where Natsu had gone and what happened with Lisanna. I quickly explained everything in a hushed tone and gratefully asked the exceed to cover for me and Natsu whilst we were out. He agreed and continued to float into the guildhall.

"Thank you, Happy" I called out as I walked out of the guildhall. My sensitive sense of smell was never as good as Natsu's; however, it could still lead me to the Fire Dragon Slayer. In a matter of minutes, I was rushing to the outskirts of Magnolia. When I arrived I saw Mirajane and Lisanna standing around Natsu. He seemed shocked and was listening as Lisanna and Mirajane took it in turns to talk to him. _Probably questioning him_ I thought as I rushed on ahead. "Natsu…" I called out as I neared the party of three.

Natsu turned to look in my direction. He waved and gestured for me to come over with the wave of his arm. I stopped once I reached him, however the scene was not what I was expecting. Instead of an upset Lisanna and an angry Mirajane, I was surprised by a pair of giggling girls and Natsu looking as confused as ever. "What's going on?" I asked, growing equally as confused as Natsu. The girls began giggling again. Mirajane patted me on the shoulder. "You two are perfect together" she said.

"Yeah" Lisanna agreed, "They so adorable when they're confused".

I sweat dropped. "What's wrong with you two?" I questioned again. Mira tried to quell her giggling and explained. "Natsu told Lisanna he liked someone before he went on that job with you. She told me despite the fact she promised not to and when I saw the way you two were around each other after coming back from that job, I guessed at what was going on" she explained.

"Yeah, and when she told me I decided to get the truth by pretending to be upset with Natsu to lure him out he where Mira could eavesdrop. He told us about you two." Lisanna added.

"Oh… right…" I said my confusion quickly disappearing.

"So… Sting… they know" Natsu said from beside me. I looked at him and saw, to my surprise, that he was smiling. I saw the mischievous glint in his eyes and caught quickly on as to what he was thinking. I got nearer to him, put my arms around his waist, and kissed him.

/

 **Natsu POV**

"So… Sting… they know" I said, watching to see if he'd get at what I was thinking. Apparently so when he shuffled closer to me and placed his arms around my waist. I readied myself and he kissed me, our lips crushing together. I opened my mouth and our kiss deepened. That caused a squeal from Lisanna, apparently she hadn't anticipated us reacting to the news of her trickery like _this_.

We broke apart to see the pair of them blushing. "Aww… your too cute Natsu" Lisanna said. Mira didn't say anything. Suddenly a thought occurred to me. I turned to Sting and he went to kiss me again. I allowed our lips to brush together briefly, however I pulled away. "What's up Natsu?" Sting inquired, the mild concern evident in his tone.

"Err… Sting, what's the time?" I asked quickly.

Sting pulled his arms away from me as he realised what had just occurred to me. "Dunno Natsu" he said.

"It's about 5PM" Mirajane said from her place beside her sister, "Why, what's wrong Natsu? It's not like you to be time conscious" she said.

"It's… err… well" I had trouble trying to tell them this, despite the fact they now knew for certain about my relationship.

"It's for our date" Sting said beside me. I quickly turned my head towards him, shocked by him saving me from being unable to speak for once.

Mira looked at us and Lisanna turned an even deeper shade of pink. "Awww… Natsu…" she purred. Mira also began her awwwing as well, however before the pair of them melted from the extra heat pooling in their faces I tried to talk over them. "The date doesn't start for another three hours, however we still need to get ready and things".

Mira stopped making those annoying noises and looked at me, "The dates tonight then?" she inquired, back to her nosey waitress act. I nodded my head. "Could you, maybe… cover for us, you know, if anyone asks whilst we're out". She nodded politely.

"Of course Natsu" she smiled.

"And don't worry, Natsu and Sting, we won't tell anyone" Lisanna added again.

"Thanks" me and Sting said in unison.

/

After a few more minutes of our Q&A session, Mira and Lisanna went back to the guild. Me and Sting stayed and went to sit, side by side, at the riverbank. "So… the group of people who _know_ has doubled in the space of an hour" I said as we sat snuggling up to each other.

"Yeah" Sting agreed, not really expanding on the point, "but it doesn't matter so long as they don't mind. I don't want to have to deal with anything like _that_ yet, alright Natsu"

"Yeah, I think so too" I agreed, "But they'll all end up finding out eventually."

Sting rested his head on my shoulder. "Yeah" he agreed again. We sat in comfortable silence for a while, with only the faintest sounds of both town and nature breaking it. Eventually Sting spoke up again. "Hey, Natsu" he said, "What would you call _us_?" he said,

"What?" I said, slightly confused as to what he was referring to.

"You know, _us_ " Sting said again. It took me a moment to realise what he was asking. "It's just, I thought about this, this morning, and I could find the right label" he said.

"Well… we're more than just _friends_ , that's for sure. I mean we could be _boyfriends_ , but I don't know, that seems a bit too… I don't know, _involved_ , maybe?" I said, rather unhelpfully, "How about this, we decide things like that after tonight, that sound good?".

"Yeah, alright, we'll leave it for now" Sting said. A smile touching his lips as he was reminded of what would be happening later. "How about we stay here for another, let's say, twenty minutes, and then we go off to get ready?" Sting proposed.

"Agreed" I said placated.

And so we sat, just enjoying each other's presence.

/

 **Sting POV (About an hour later)**

We left the forest after the agreed twenty minutes, however we were reluctant to part company. We both left after walking around town a bit and Natsu marched off towards the other edge of town, to his house in the forest. I briefly considered following him in secret, however I crushed the idea before it could become rooted in my mind.

When I reached my apartment I closed the door and lay on my bed. "Why am I so unable to leave Natsu?" I said to the walls.

No response.

Not like I expected one anyways. I sat thinking about Natsu for a while. Over the past five days so much had happened. Before this I'd only wanted to be his friend, now I was going out on a date with him, and I'd kissed him. "It's quite funny, isn't it, how things've turned out" I said aloud again. After that thought I set about getting ready for the date.

When I'd come to Magnolia I'd only brought two other sets of clothes aside from the ones I was wearing now. One set consisted of clothing much the same as what I was already wearing, albeit gray and red as opposed to blue, black and yellow. The other set I'd only brought in case I needed to see the Magic Council whilst I was here. I'd considered not bringing those originally, however, as Rogue pointed out before I left, Fairy Tail had a reputation and I thought I should bring them just in case I was in front of the Councilors as a witness to some great destruction. I pulled them out of the drawer I had neatly placed them in. _These'll have to do_ I thought. The clothing in question consisted of a dress shirt of light blue colour and some formal dark blue trousers. A waist coat was also there, of the same dark blue as the trousers, however I left it, figuring I didn't want to seem too formal.

I got changed into the other clothes and sat on my bed again, facing the one window of the room. From here I could see much of Magnolia, all the way up to Kardia Cathedral and even to the guildhall beyond. The town was beautiful, and it somewhat reminded me of Sabertooth's hometown, as from the guildhall there you could see the whole town beneath you. I'd always liked looking at the town, especially all the lights at night. _It's like looking into the stars_ I always thought.

After a few more minutes of gawking I decided to head off. I left the inn with a smile on my face as I wandered through the streets of Magnolia. Some people I passed shot me odd looks, however I ignored them. _Probably just surprised to see the Guildmaster of Sabertooth grinning like an idiot in their town_ I thought as I walked. Normally I would care how this would reflect on the guild, however not tonight, not when I'm with Natsu. I passed a flower shop and suddenly wondered if Natsu would bring flowers. _I know we're not being obvious but it would be pretty funny_ I thought as I allowed the idea to grow in my mind, 'flower' even.

I reached the guild around 7:40, about twenty minutes before Natsu said he'd be there so I proceeded inside. I bumped into Lucy, who was heading out with Levy McGarden. Both of them stopped and observed me in my attire. "Looking good Sting" she said.

"Yeah, why are you dressed like that?" the Script Mage asked, "Got something important on?".

I quickly thought of a believable lie. "My other clothes are getting cleaned, I've just got these" I lied.

"Oh, alright Sting" Lucy said, walking around me. "Shame you always wear the same stuff, that looks _really_ good on you". I blushed without even realising it.

"Someone's embarrassed" Levy observed.

I chuckled a little. "Sorry…" was all I said.

"Awww... too cute" Lucy said. I rubbed the back of my head as the two girls awwwed even louder and I suddenly became conscious of the other members in the guild hall. I raised my hands to quiet them. "Sorry girls, but I don't want to have everyone in the guild over here". They both quieted down, "Alright Sting, we've gotta go" Levy said as she and Lucy made their way out. Once they left I went over to a discreet side table and sat down. Mirajane saw me and walked over. "Good evening Sting" she said cheerily, before bending over closer to me, "So, when are you going out?" she whispered.

"In a few minutes, Natsu said he'd be here by eight, I just got here early" I whispered back.

"Alright, if anyone asks for you tonight, I'll just tell them that you went for a walk around Magnolia and then were planning on going home, sound good?" she said.

"That's fine, although Lucy and Levy already bumped into me asking questions, they think my other clothes are getting dry-cleaned, so be careful what you tell them".

"Will do" she said as she moved away.

I waited for another ten minutes and no one spoke to me except Mirajane. Only a few thoughts made their way through my mind. The most interesting one left me wondering if Natsu would comment on my attire like the two girls did and I also wondered what he would be wearing. Once my watch said it was 7:57 I proceeded to go outside, being careful to remain unnoticed.

I didn't have to wait long as Natsu arrived a minute later. "Hey Sting" he said as he reached me.

/

Natsu walked up to me quite casually. "I know I'm a little early" he said.

"Its fine Natsu" I said eyeing him up and down. He wore his usual white trousers and black sandals, however he wore a dark blue cloth from his belt to his knees, which was trimmed with silver material, and his usual waistcoat had been swapped out for a sleeved dark blue zipped waistcoat with matching silver trimming.

Natsu noticed my observation. "So, how am I looking?" he said slyly.

I smiled and nodded. "Pretty damned good" I replied.

"Good, you do to" he said, causing me to blush a little. _So he does notice_ I thought, recalling my earlier idea. "Shall we go then?" Natsu said, obviously excited to get things underway.

"Sure, let's go" I replied.

/

As we walked around town I began to wonder what Natsu had planned. _He must have booked a restaurant_ I thought, _but which one? I've been around Magnolia a few times now and seen several nice places to eat, but he doesn't seem to be heading for any of the ones I've heard about…_

"Hey Natsu, can I ask where we're going" I said to the Fire Dragon Slayer beside me.

"You'll see when we get there Sting" he replied, flashing me a smile. That just made me even more curious.

Eventually, after a little bit of walking, we reached the location. "'Dragon's Hearth'?" read the sign on the small restaurant, "This is what you chose?" I direct this question to Natsu.

"Yeah, it got named after me when I saved the town this one time. The food here's good and it's a bit out-of-the-way so it's not likely we'll get caught" he said smiling. I joined in, smiling too.

"Natsu, that's quite cute, you choosing a restaurant named after you" I said as he led me inside.

"Hah" he said with a cocky look to his face, "Have you got any restaurants named after _you_ Sting?" he asked.

I quickly took that cocky grin off of his face. "Actually, I've got three restaurants back home named after me, plus two stores and about a dozen various other places around Fiore" I said, my smile widening as Natsu pouted. "Show off" he huffed. I chuckled as a waitress who Natsu seemed to recognize came over to the area where the sign told us to wait. "Good evening Mister Dragneel, oh… and Master Sting" she said with only brief surprise and a well-rehearsed pleasantness, "the room you booked is right this way". She led us to a private room in the back of the restaurant with a single table, two seats, two menus and a waiter already standing by.

We each sat down and began scanning through the menus provided. Upon prompting we each chose drinks first. "I'm not sure what to have, how about you Natsu?" I said.

"I don't know, how about something normal…like…" he scanned the drinks section of the menu, however before he could answer another idea sprung to my mind. "How about wine?" I asked. He looked at me as if I'd just said something supremely stupid. "Wine?" he said, "Why wine?". I shrugged my shoulders. "You don't like wine Natsu?" I said to him.

He furrowed his brows. "I don't not like it, it's just that I think it's too complicated, like why is it so important about its age, or where it was grown, or what colour it is, it all tastes the same to me". I rolled my eyes and looked at the waiter.

"Could you get us a couple of glasses of the house wine" I said to him. He bowed and proceeded out of the door. Once he left Natsu spoke. "Why did you pick wine Sting?" he said bluntly. I just shrugged. "It's supposed to be romantic, seemed appropriate all things considered" I replied.

"But weren't we supposed to be trying to be _discrete_?" he questioned. Again I shrugged.

"Wine's wine, it doesn't mean anything definite. If anyone does happen to question anything either tell them nothing or tell them we're just having a _meeting_ about the job we just went on, alright?". Natsu just nodded.

We both resumed scanning the menu's and when the waiter came back with the wine, he took our orders and swiftly left us again. He took the menus with him and suddenly without it I felt a bit more… exposed. I'd spent time with Natsu alone, but right this moment I couldn't think of anything to say. We both sat in semi-awkward silence until one of us could come up with something to say. Natsu didn't seem to be leading anywhere fast so I figured I'd have to start it. "So, Natsu… what have you got planned?" I asked, trying to get hints for what was in store later. He simply smiled and a proud flare rose in his eyes. "I'm not telling" he said, "You'll have to wait and see. But we will have to be discrete for some of it, alright?" I nodded without even realising it. My body had acted on its own, driven by curiosity as to what the Fire Dragon Slayer had planned. "Alright, fine" I said. After another few moments of silence Natsu spoke again.

"I've just had a thought" he said.

"Oh really, that'll be a first for you then" I said sarcastically, taking a sip of my wine.

"Hey" he said sharply, "Don't go mocking my ideas, especially since all _this-_ " he gestured around the room in general, "-was my idea".

"Alright, alright" I said, holding my hands up, "I won't mock you. So what's the idea?"

"Well" he began, "I've told Happy about _this_ ¸ and now Lisanna and Mira know too, right?". I nodded, and he continued "So I was just wondering… are you gonna tell Lector? Or Rogue?". I thought about this for a second. It was true now that some of Natsu's friends knew about us, and none of mine did, however I was a little concerned about how they might react.

"I don't know" I said eventually, "I mean… Happy and Lisanna accepted it… and Mirajane too… but I'm not sure how Rogue and Lector would take it. I mean… they'd probably not hate me for it, but I don't know if they'd act any different… and Lector's not good at keeping secrets very much".

Natsu took in what I was saying and his eyes filled with a little bit of pity. "Come on Sting, you can tell them… just like my friends, if those guys really care about you then they _should_ be able to accept us being together, right?". I nodded, once again without any conscious effort. Natsu was right, of course. "Yeah, you're right Natsu, I _will_ tell them".

Natsu began smiling again, "Good" he said "It's not fair that only _my_ guild knows about this. We should both share the responsibility". I smirked, something else popping into my head, from this morning. "Don't think yourself too involved Natsu, remember that you wanted for no one to know about this as well". Natsu looked sheepish. I couldn't help but laugh. "Remember this little piece of wisdom you gave me; _What? Mira? Nah, she'd not do that, you're just becoming paranoid Sting_ " I said, parroting his voice.

Natsu looked a little embarrassed. "Well I never knew she'd be so devious about getting us to admit it" was all he said in defense. I laughed a _lot_ more.

"She played you like a fine tuned instrument Natsu" I laughed aloud.

"Hmph, you fell for Lisanna's little act too, remember. All that ' _Yes Natsu, she was upset because she likes you'_ you said to get me to talk to her" the pink haired Dragonslayer huffed.

I was about to say that he was the one to admit to it though, however I was interrupted by the re-emergence of the waiter.

"Your food, sirs" he said setting the food we ordered down, before enquiring into anything else we may need.

"No thank you" I said politely.

He bowed his head and left us alone in peace.

/

 **Natsu POV**

Once the food arrived me and Sting both began munching it down quite readily. We chatted, mostly about things that had happened recently. "I can't believe that we spent an entire afternoon in that forest" Sting said in between bites of the fish he ordered.

"And I can't believe how much of a girl you were wanting to cuddle up to me that night" I said, laughing a little too loudly.

"Shhh… Natsu, careful of people hearing you" Sting scolded, lowering his voice.

"Sorry, but is that because we're trying to be discrete or is that because you don't want people to know you're such a girl" I retorted, although I did lower my voice. Now it was Sting's turn to pout. "Be quiet flame-brain" he said.

"You've spent too much time around the guild" I said, noticing the way Sting so comfortably fell into using the insult most guild members gave me. Especially Gray. Sting gave a wry smile, "Shouldn't have ditched me there then" he stated.

"Hey, if you wanted to go on a date then you should've expected to be ditched for a little while" I countered, matter-of-factly.

"Fair enough, Natsu" Sting shrugged his shoulders finishing off his meal and taking a sip of his wine. I devoured the last of my meal and gulped down a large portion of the wine. It was our second glass each, and while Sting sipped his more normally, I couldn't help but gulp mine down.

Eventually, after ordering and eating a desert we both were ready to leave. "Could we have the bill?" Sting asked the waitress who came to clear away our plates. She smiled and nodded. She left and returned a few minutes later with the bill. Sting went to take it, however I snatched it up before he got the chance. He seemed a little shocked. "Sting, this is _me_ taking _you_ out for dinner, so _I'm_ paying" I stated, leaving no room for negotiation. Sting smiled and still made a move to take the bill. I held firm and he stopped. "Fine Natsu, you pay". Despite his attempt he seemed quite content to leave me with the bill. _Just playing the usual games then_ I thought as I left the money, plus tip.

Sting went on ahead and I rejoined him side by side at the entrance. "Where to next?" he asked me. I led him further down the street and linked arms with him. It was now well into 10 PM, probably even 11, and no one was about. I led him further down the street with our arms linked and was once again asked as to where we were headed. I smiled at the blonde but did not give a response.

"You'll see" was all I said.

/

After that we meandered around Magnolia town. Sting kept asking me questions and incorrectly guessing our next location, however he soon realised I was deliberately not leading him there directly. "Natsuuuu…" he whined, "Just tell me okay".

"No Sting, this is gonna be a nice surprise, alright" I said, rolling my eyes for the third time in the space of ten minutes. "Just enjoy the journey".

Sting smirked. "If I just enjoyed the journey then I'd never look forward to tonight" he said, his eyes filled with a devilishness that made me blush inwardly.

"Leave off it Sting, your over thinking things" I said, with a little bit of glee abiding in my throat at Sting's suggestion.

"Awww… is someone embarrassed" Sting said, plucking my cheek lightly, and laughing as I pulled away a little.

Whilst Sting was distracted by me I led him to the west side of town and towards Magnolia west side park. Eventually he became quiet again as he took the periodic change in scenery as we entered the park. "Natsu?" he whispered, "Is this where you wanted to take me?".

"Yeah" I nodded, quite happy about the effect the moonlit trees and shrubbery was having on Sting. For once in this night we were both in a comfortable silence, awed by the beauty of the park at night. "Natsu" Sting said slowly, "This place is beautiful". I smiled at him in the darkness and slipped my arm around his waist. "Yeah, I know" I whispered back, "I often come here at night alone to think through things".

Sting looked as though he was about to say something, however he stopped himself and instead just turned to face me and smiled. "Natsu, there's only one thing I can say about this-" Sting made a grand gestured signaling the surrounding area, "-it's beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here". I blushed at the comment and Sting smiled even warmer. We drew close to each other and arms wrapped around each other's waist. "You said you wanted to see the sights" I said at barely a whisper, "So how are they?". Sting's lips brushed briefly against my own. "They're beautiful" he said. And then we kissed, slow and full of emotion.

This date was going perfectly.

/

 **Sting POV**

I couldn't contain my pure joy. Me and Natsu were kissing in the middle of Magnolia's park, out in the open. Exposed.

When we broke apart we each looked deep into each other's eyes and a realization dawned on me. We could be caught at any time and neither of us cared. The only thing which mattered right now to either of us was what was happening right now, what each other was feeling. Natsu had made some pretty damned good decisions into this date although I'd been the one to suggest it. The cute little restaurant, the park, even his choice of clothing. Everything was perfect.

Neither of us spoke for a long while, until Natsu piped up. "Shall we continue our stroll?" he said with a dopey smile on his face. My chest felt aflutter and before I knew it I was being led on, Natsu's arm intertwined with my own. I let him lead, he obviously had one more trick up his sleeve.

After another short stroll we reached the center of the park, where a great cherry blossom tree stood. I'd heard about Magnolia's famous cherry blossom tree, and the accompanying festival, however seeing the tree now, with Natsu and the stars, it was just so stunning. I was speechless, even more so when Natsu unlinked our arms to rush over to a very specific bush. He pulled something that looked like a blanket out and turned to face me. "Come on Sting" he called. I walked over and joined him. He lay the blanket on the ground for us to sit on and brought out a box. "What's that Natsu?" I asked with growing suspicion about the small box. I could sense the magic in it so it must do something.

"You'll see" Natsu said as he fumbled with some complex-looking lock on the side of the box. Taking a key, he unlocked and opened it to reveal a small lacrima crystal. "A lacrima?" I said, puzzled. "Yep" Natsu said. He held it up in the direction of the tree and funneled some of his own magical energy into the crystal. It began to glow faintly.

Suddenly the light enveloped the tree, reflecting off of the leaves to send rainbow light out in all directions, illuminating the whole area with hundreds of different coloured lights. "Natsu, that's amazing, what is it?".

"A light lacrima, containing a rainbow spell. Although the spell doesn't do anything except make lights I found that the light will reflect off of living things. I've only done this twice before in here at night. Once with Happy when I got the lacrima, and once by myself when… well, when I thought Lisanna was dead." I looked at the slightly saddened expression on Natsu's face and once again my chest went fluttery.

"Natsu, this… is perfect… all of it" I said, standing and pulling him up next to me. "The date, the restaurant, the park, _this,_ it's all so perfect and beautiful and honestly I'm _glad_ you chose these things. You've shown me a side to yourself that is so different to the one you show others and I am grateful. So… thank you Natsu for all of this" I said. Natsu smiled a deep smile and whispered a silent thank you back. We kissed once more and then broke apart as Natsu blushed quite deeply. "What's wrong Natsu? Did I say something wrong?". Natsu shook his head.

"Umm… Sting, could we..." he blushed a little more "could we… erm… go back to my place?" the pinked haired mage said. I laughed and pulled him into a warm embrace. "Of course we can Natsu. But on one condition-" Natsu quickly nodded, "-we spend the night together". Natsu began grinning.

"Of course, _Master_ Eucliffe" he said, reaching down to quickly place the lacrima back into its box before taking my hand.

Neither of us spoke, we just walked, quite quickly, back to Natsu's house in the woods.

 **End of Chapter 8**


	9. Chapter 9 - Tomorrow Morning

Chapter 9 – Tomorrow Morning

 **Author's note; Once again thanks for the views, and once again I would appreciate any comments to help improve this story. You can PM me or just leave a review, which ever you prefer. Now once more unto the breach.**

 **Oh but more thing, most of the 'interesting' stuff will be written in the third person (general POV) as opposed to a specific character. That is all.**

 **General POV**

Upon recovering the lacrima crystal neither Sting nor Natsu spoke. The only communication between them came in their eyes and their huge grins. Natsu took hold of Sting's hand and led him through the streets of Magnolia back to Natsu's house in the woods. Natsu knew where most of the streets were where they'd be more easily caught so he avoided them as they ploughed on.

Once they reached the woods their pace increased as both became increasingly more desperate for the ' _activity_ ' they'd just agreed on to commence. Natsu reached the door of his house and opened it, pulling Sting inside. He could tell by the scent that Happy wasn't home and was glad of it. He didn't want to have to worry about anyone or anything else right now.

Sting took a quick glance around Natsu's home, making a mental note of where somethings were as he was almost dragged up the stairs by the Fire Dragon Slayer. _Sight-seeing around this place can wait_ Sting thought as Natsu and him stopped at the top of the stairs. Natsu turned to face Sting, his cheeks flushed and a wry smile forming on his lips. Sting's grin widened and he took a step closer to the other Dragon Slayer. They kissed and began pressing right up against each other, every section of their bodies pressed up against one another. Sting pressed his tounge to Natsu's lower lip, begging for entrance which Natsu readily allowed.

A short battle for dominance occurred between the two, with Sting reigning as the overall dominator as the two broke for air. Panting, with a string of saliva separating the two, Natsu led Sting by the hand once again, this time stopping at the door and finally speaking. "Sting are you… sure about this" the pink-head asked, although hoping he knew the answer. Sting responded by brushing his hand through those pink locks and nodding with another wry smile. "Of course I am Natsu, now stop asking and lets just do this. Alright?" Sting didn't want to wait another second. He roughly kissed the Dragon Slayer and pushed him against the door. Natsu reached to open the door and flung it wide as he was carried by Sting and deposited on the bed. Sting pushed him further on to the bed and sat on top of the slightly smaller mage. "Quick question, Natsu" he said, causing the other mage to pout slightly in both frustration and anticipation. "Have you ever done this before?".

Natsu blushed and then his eyes widened. "No?" Sting questioned, seeking confirmation. Natsu responded only by nodding. Sting lowered is face until it was only mere centimeters from Natsu's. "That's good" he said breathlessly, "I'll have to make this very _special_ for you". He then proceeded to kiss the Dragon Slayer once again. As he did so he slowly opened up Natsu's waistcoat and began running his hand over the revealed muscles. Natsu groaned slightly and Sting shifted his weight so that he wasn't sitting on the Dragon Slayer anymore. They broke apart once again and Natsu watched with hungry eyes as Sting undid the buttons of his dress-shirt. Sting bit his lip as he pulled off the shirt to reveal the perfect body underneath. Natsu sat up, his face buried into Sting's neck. He kissed lightly as his hands moved with a sensual slowness over Sting's abdomen. Now it was Sting's turn to groan as Natsu began caressing his muscles with an almost painful tender slowness.

Sting preceded then to remove his trousers, unbuttoning them, however, before he got to slip them off, Natsu dragged them both down for another passionate kiss. From this angle it was Natsu who pulled Sting's trousers off, along with his shoes, and threw them on the floor. Natsu slipped off his own sandals and Sting began unbuttoning his belt. Once that was done both Dragon Slayers were left with nothing between them except a thin layer of fabric. They broke from their kiss one last time as Sting began trailing kisses down Natsu's body. He reached the hem of Natsu's boxers and began tugging at them. Natsu immediately responded by stripping them off and leaving himself completely exposed to Sting. In turn Sting also stripped off his last item of clothing and both of them saw each other in their entirety. Sting's cock was slightly bigger than Natsu's however they were both about the same thickness. _Perfect_ Sting thought as his predatory gaze swept over Natsu.

Natsu shuddered ever so slightly in pleasure at feeling those eyes eating him up. He bit his lip and looked Sting straight in the eyes, daring him to make the first move. Sting responded by crushing his lips once more against the Fire Dragon Slayer's, however there was no battle for dominance as Sting claimed Natsu's mouth with ease.

Sting's hands trailed down Natsu's stomach and stopped once they reached the hardened member below. He smiled as his hand enclosed around the flesh and chuckled into the kiss as Natsu jerked suddenly at the contact. Sting slowly began to move his hand up and down, a lusty smile growing even firmer on his lips as Natsu gave off a short moan. When they broke apart once again Sting giggled a little. "You're really already moaning from _this_ " Sting said, tugging a bit more roughly on Natsu's member. "Shut… up" was all Natsu managed to say.

Sting whispered in Natsu's ear. "You take all of the fun out of it Natsu. I wanted to see how much it would take to make you moan, and beg, and plead. But if this is all it takes for that, how much more do I have to do for the rest". Sting tugged a little rougher and Natsu moaned again. With a dark smile, Sting began straddling the pink haired Dragon Slayer.

Without breaking eye contact Sting began trailing kisses down Natsu's jawline, then down his chest. He stopped once he reached his nipple and sucked the pink bud into his mouth. "S-Sting…ngnn…" Natsu groaned as Sting began assaulting the bud with flicks of his tongue and soft little nips. Sting felt Natsu's shaft stiffen even further in his hand and so Sting stopped tugging it. He was met with a whimper as Natsu's eyes looked down on him from further above. "Why'd you stop?" he asked.

"Because I don't want you to come yet" Sting said. Before Natsu could even respond the White Dragon Slayer kissed him once more and then whispered in his ear. "I want to _taste_ you, Natsu" he said with a lust laden voice. Natsu shuddered again, more so at the promises hidden away in that voice, than at the tone. Sting nibbled on Natsu's earlobe and began trailing kisses along his jaw line. Natsu shifted so that their mouths met and forced his tongue into Sting's mouth before he could react. He explored Sting's mouth first, before he'd be experiencing it in a whole other way. Natsu sifted his hand through Sting's blond hair as Sting's hands stroked Natsu's face. Sting was first to break away as he ran his tongue along Natsu's neck and then advanced further down the Fire Dragon Slayers body.

He stopped at Natsu's cock and looked up to meet Natsu's gaze as he took the head into his mouth, causing Natsu to moan once more. He engulfed more of the length into his mouth, flicking his tongue against the tip of the shaft, and eliciting such a beautifully satisfying noise out of Natsu. He kept going, sucking and flicking down as much of the length as he could, making as much noise as he could. Natsu buried his head into the pillow, face a picture of joy. Sting could believe how hot Natsu looked, even like this. Natsu moaned and Sting couldn't help but laugh as the pink haired Dragon Slayer began running his figures through his fellow Dragon Slayer's blond locks. The vibrations caused Natsu to moan even louder and soon it became too much. Sting began touching himself, moving his hand in time with the bobs of his head.

Natsu didn't seem to be making much coherent sense and soon all that came out of his mouth was "S-Sting… sooo good… m-more…" and "Fuuuuuck…" as Sting moved with a bit more rapid rhythm. Sting's own jerking hand increased in rhythm and soon he too moaned out the odd sentence, muffled by the flesh in his mouth. The combined acts of Sting's head and the muffled moans sent Natsu over the edge.

"F-fuck…Sting… I'm gonna…" was all the warning Sting got as Natsu's come shot into the White Dragon Slayer's mouth in ropes of milky white liquid. Sting stopped touching himself and instead focused on swallowing as much as he could. Once Natsu's moans and gyrations subsided Sting took the wilting member out of his mouth. "Natsu," he said trying to draw the hazy attention of the pink haired Dragon Slayer. Natsu responded by looking down at Sting's flushed face. A small trail of come leaked from the corner of Sting's mouth and Natsu stopped its escape with his thumb.

Sting climbed up Natsu's body until they were face to face once again. Natsu licked the come from his thumb and felt suddenly elated to taste himself. The pair kissed, with increased fervor as they both tasted Natsu's come in their combined mouths. When they broke apart Natsu was panting quite hard. "That was fun…" he said in between pants. Sting's face broke into a grin.

"It's not over yet my little Dragon Slayer" he said, eyes gesturing downwards. Natsu saw that Sting was still hard and realised what he meant. "Oh…" he said. A smile played on his lips as a new image formed in Natsu's mind. The image grew in clarity as he pondered how Sting's cock would feel inside him. Sting saw the smile on Natsu's face and met it with a slightly darker smile as similar thoughts filled his head.

It was then that Sting's hand crawled up Natsu's torso, wrenching him from his reverie. Sting shoved two of his fingers into Natsu's mouth. "Suck them Natsu" he commanded, which Natsu immediately responded to. Sting slid his other hand along Natsu's body, playing with the other nipple to the one he had begun to attack previously. Once Sting deemed his finger's slick enough he removed them from Natsu's mouth, quickly to be replaced with his tongue. He stopped playing with Natsu's nipple and instead began running his fingers through Natsu's pink locks for one last time before the main event began. "You ready for this Natsu?" he whispered. "Uh huh…" Natsu nodded slightly unsure. _Im gonna have to 'fire him up' for this…_ Sting thought as he saw the indecision in Natsu's adorable face. "What's the matter Natsu? Can't take my cock?" I asked in a mocking tone.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer, I'm the SALAMANDER, there ain't nothing I can't handle" Natsu said with confidence growing in his voice. Sting simply smiled. He nodded and then proceeded to kiss Natsu as he slipped one slickened finger into the Fire Dragon's ass. Natsu yelped but Sting silenced him with his tongue. He began sliding it in and out, and soon he formed a steady rhythm. Natsu's member was already hard again and Sting soon began sliding his free hand once again up and down the length.

Sting slid another finger inside and started scissoring his fingers inside Natsu's ass. As he did so Natsu began thrusting up into Sting's hand, causing himself to moan with increased pleasure as the gyrations also caused Natsu to become impaled upon Sting's figures. "Ngnn… So fucking good…" Natsu moaned as Sting caused him to feel pleasure from both sections of his body. Sting started angling his thrusts trying to find that perfect spot inside Natsu which would... "Ahhhh… fuck Sting…" Natsu moaned suddenly. _Found it_ Sting thought with a devilish grin. Once he had located Natsu's sweet spot Sting bore down on it with as much speed as he could, savoring every moan and yelp of pleasure coming from Natsu's mouth.

Sting pulled his fingers out of Natsu, causing the Fire Dragon Slayer to whine at the loss. Sting then shared one last brief kiss before he lined his cock up to the Fire Dragons ass. Pausing when he realised the one thing he'd forgotten. "Ummm… Natsu," Sting said suddenly.

"What?" Natsu asked abruptly, disappointed that the thing he'd wanted desperately we being denied from him for a second longer than necessary. "Do you have some lube or something?" Sting said. Natsu went wide eyed as he realised why Sting had stopped. "Umm… yeah actually," Natsu replied, moving carefully to his bedside table. Hidden in the back was a bottle of lube. Not even wanting to question why Natsu had the lube hidden there Sting accepted the bottle and poured a large amount of the substance onto his cock. He then threw the bottle to the side and lined himself up once more.

Shooting Natsu a final grin he began sliding his cock inside. Slowly he buried himself right up to the hilt and then waited on Natsu to say that he was okay before he would begin to move. Once Natsu nodded Sting didn't hold back. He pulled his hips back and forth, increasing his pace as he found a steady rhythm. Natsu moaned loudly as Sting angle his thrusts to roughly the same area he hit with his fingers only moments before. He kept thrusting until he found once again the place he was aiming for. "F-fuck… so good… faster Sting" Natsu moaned as Sting once again bore down on his sweet spot.

"Of course my little dragon" Sting said, complying to the wishes of his childhood idol. His thrust came harder and faster until Sting was ushering pleasured moans out of his mouth uncontrollably, just as Natsu had done so many times. Natsu saw Sting through lust-lidded eyes and all he could think was how beautiful he looked. "Oh God…" Natsu shouted abruptly as Sting rammed down significantly harder onto his sweet spot, "I'm gonna… f-fuck… coming Sting". Natsu gasped in a second orgasm as ropes of his hot white seed covered his chest. The sight of Natsu covered in his own seed, and the muscular contractions causing him to tighten around Sting's member pushed Sting over the edge too.

"NATSU…" he moaned as he came inside the Fire Dragon Slayer. "F-fuck…"

After a few moments Sting pulled out and lay beside his lover. "Well…" he said, panting a little hard, "That was _definitely_ fun". Natsu agreed with the smallest nod of his head. He had curled up, resting his head on Stings chest, soothed by the short rises and falls. "Umm… Natsu," Sting said, trying to rouse the drowsy mage, "We need to get cleaned up".

Natsu shook his head in response. "Don't wanna… too tired…".

"But we'll be all sticky in the morning" Sting warned. To be honest Sting didn't really care himself, he was quite content to wake up like that tomorrow, so long as Natsu was there too.

"Don't care..." Natsu said, snuggling closer to the White Dragon Slayer. Sting patted Natsu on the head. "Okay, my little dragon" he said, "Go to sleep, we can deal with it in the morning". Natsu needed no other invitation and quickly went off to sleep. Sting watched the sleeping form curled up on his chest. He ran his fingers slowly through the pink locks and gently stroked Natsu's cheek. "Damn it Natsu, your cute when your asleep." Sting said, smiling, "I don't know what it is you do to me, but I think I might be in love with you. I just hope you really do love me too". Sting said this knowing Natsu couldn't really hear him, as saying such things to Natsu right now would complicate things too quickly, considering how quickly things had progressed in their relationship already. He rested his nose against Natsu's head, the unique scent of the Dragon Slayer, further enhanced by the activity, quickly sent Sting to sleep too.

/

 **Sting POV (The Next Morning)**

I awoke to a wet feeling against my chest. I quickly felt around to the side only to find Natsu's body missing. "Natsu?" I said, opening my eyes quickly. I made to sit up however a sudden weight kept me in place. "What's wrong Sting?" Natsu said from below me. As I looked down at him the Fire Dragon Slayer smirked. "Did I wake you?" he said cockily.

"Yeah… kinda… what are you doing down there?" I questioned, suddenly curious, although also somewhat hopeful. Natsu just continued smirking as he bent his head down and trailed butterfly kisses and little nips across my chest. I smiled, my mind returning to the morning before, when I had also awakened to find Natsu doing the exact same thing as he was now. "It's kinda hard not to wake up to _that_ " I parroted, saying the exact same thing I had done the last time. Natsu chuckled, he ran more kisses along my chest before advancing up my neck and jaw to my mouth. We kissed with a bit of restraint, not wanting to start any more activity after last night, since it was Natsu's first time he'd need to recover a bit first. When we broke up I trailed a hand along Natsu's chest. "Did you enjoy last night Natsu?" I asked in my most sensual tones.

Natsu grinned widely, "Of course I did Sting. It was _amazing_ " he said with obvious joy. I nodded my head. _Good, I didn't disappoint him then_.

"Good, at least we've found a more… _amusing_ way to use up that boundless energy of yours" I smirked. Natsu giggled. "If I could always do _that_ instead of training to use up my energy then I would" he said with that devilish grin he wore.

I ran my hand through Natsu hair again. I enjoyed the feel of it through my fingers, the scent of it as I slept. The scent of _fun_ , and of fire. "You know that were gonna have to get up at some point Natsu" I said, slightly deflating the mages enthusiasm.

"Why?" he whined, "We could stay here all day if we wanted to". I shook my head.

"We couldn't Natsu. Firstly, we've still gotta get cleaned up remember?" Natsu pouted, "And secondly, I said I'd be better by today so I'm gonna have to continue the inspection of your guild mate's jobs". This made Natsu whine even more.

"So I'm not gonna get to spend any more alone time with you then? After all this you'd want to deny me being able to see you again" his eyes wounded me deeper than any weapon. Those big, beautiful, puppy-dog eyes.

"Stop it Natsu, we'll still be able to be with each other, just not all day" I stated plainly. Natsu would not be deterred. "What about after the inspection, hmmmm? You'll have to go back to Sabertooth" he moaned.

"Makarov will have to come visit Sabertooth, that was our arrangement at the conference, so how about you come along as an 'assistant' or for some other reason, and then we can get together again" I reasoned. Natsu considered this but still continued to pout. I raised myself onto one elbow, making to get out of bed. "Come on Natsu, you can decide later" I said flinging my legs over the side. Natsu grabbed my arm, however I just wrenched him up as well. "You can't avoid this" I stated. He just shrugged.

"Fine then" he said, realising how futile it was to argue this any further.

/

In order to get cleaned up Natsu led me to the bathroom of the house. We both agreed to shower together in order to remove the left over from last night. Once we agreed on a mutual temperature of water me and Natsu climbed in, holding each other tightly under the down pour. Natsu shower was of an average size however with both me and Natsu in it, it became a little… snug.

Natsu had a little problem standing straight after last night so I supported him slightly whilst we stood together. "I think we'll have to postpone any further activity" I said to him as we scrubbed ourselves down with Natsu's soap. Natsu whined. "But it was sooooo good" he said.

"Natsu you can hardly walk. I know that you might want to, but you gotta know your limits." He didn't seem that comforted by this so I leaned in close and whispered in his ear. "Don't worry, next time I'll train you better so that it'll hurt less in the future, sound good?" Natsu blushed and nodded.

"Alright" he said with a bit more enthusiasm.

As we let the shower was away any remaining suds off our bodies we huddled closer. I bent down to his neck and trailed kisses along it just to torment him a little, whilst he just mewled in pleasure. Once we were cleaned we got out. Quickly heading back to Natsu's bedroom we began to deal with the other remains of the night. Natsu tore the bed sheets off and threw them into a pile of other dirty laundry, before taking some new sheets out of another cupboard and placing them on the bed. I collected my clothes from the night before and began getting dressed, whilst Natsu took his more usual outfit out from another drawer in the room and threw them on. Once we were both clothed and the bed had been dealt with Natsu lead me downstairs.

/

As we crept down the steps we were greeted by an unexpected noise. "Good morning Natsu" Happy said from the sofa cushion on which he sat. I looked in shock as Natsu sweat dropped. "Happy" he said, a little too quickly, "You're…errr… here".

"Aye sir, and good morning to you too, _Master Sting_ " the little blue exceed said with a giggle. I was too dumbstruck to reply. Natsu had to speak up first. "When did you…errr… get home?" he asked unsure. Happy gave it some thought. "I came in 'bout… 7:30" he said, matter of factly. "I didn't want to wake you so I made myself some breakfast. I took peek though, and saw that we had a _guest_ ".

Natsu groaned. He obviously didn't think Happy would come home whilst I was still here. "R-right…" he stuttered, unsure of what to do now that we'd been caught doing _that_. I took the initiative, now that I'd found my voice again. "Ummm… so do you want me to stay Happy, or…" I decided to leave it up to him. "You can stay if you want, Sting, especially if you and Natsu are getting _close_ " he grinned from ear to feline ear. I nodded.

"R-right, so breakfast… Natsu?" I turned to the Fire Dragon Slayer. He seemed to recover since I managed to get Happy's approval. "Right this way" he said, a touch of pride in his voice. _He obviously cares what his partner thinks as well. I can't blame him; I'd be the same if it was Lector_ I thought to myself as I was led to another part of the living room which also served as a dining table.

Natsu busied himself in the kitchen whilst he sat me down at a chair and for the first time I actually got to observe the house in closer detail. From my seat I scanned over the whole room. It was quite spacious, with everything relatively neatly placed. The furniture looked a bit worn and there was the odd bit of clutter, however all in all it was ordered and tidy.

Natsu entered the room carrying two plates of food. He set one in front of me and then sat opposite, placing the other in front of himself. He caught my observational glance. "So, what do you think of my house?" he said with an apparently genuine interest in my opinion.

"Well it's actually quite pleasant. Ordered, but with a few small piles of clutter." Natsu smiled and nodded. "I kinda should admit something, though. My house isn't usually this neat. Before we went on that job I invited Lisanna round to talk, because I really needed to talk to someone about my… well… feelings," I grinned, he seemed embarrassed to say that he has feelings for me, "And whilst she was here she tidied up" he finished.

I grinned even more. "Don't worry Natsu" I said reassuringly, "If I didn't live with Rogue then my house would be equally as messy. Probably even more." Natsu relaxed at my comment and returned an amused smile.

We ate our breakfasts in a comfortable quiet, interrupted only every so often by one of us asking questions, or answering questions from Happy. Once we finished Natsu took our plates and deposited them in the sink with the promise of 'cleaning them up later'. After that we made sure we were ready and then headed off to the guild.

Natsu had to lead me through the woods as I hadn't really had time last night in the dark to remember the path. As we walked we listened to the sounds of the forest life around us and by the time we reached Magnolia it was some time around 11AM. We made a subtle detour back to the inn I was staying at so that I could change out of the clothes I had worn the night before, returning to wearing my more normal attire. I didn't really want to have to explain why I was still wearing these things, although the reaction from Mirajane may have just made it worth it. This thought put me in a good mood and once again I walked through the streets of Magnolia grinning like an idiot, this time with Natsu at my side and Happy somewhere around his shoulder.

This morning was _definitely_ a good morning, and I hoped that the day would continue to be equally as good.

 **End of Chapter 9**


	10. Chapter 10 - They Call It Plushie Love

Chapter 10 – And They Call It Plushie Love

 **Natsu POV**

When we left Sting's room in the inn we were both grinning like a pair of idiots. The initial uncomfortably I had felt upon waking up after last night subsided, with nothing more than a dull ache shooting up my ass. We got a few funny looks from people who recognized the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail walking besides the Master of Sabertooth, with both of us grinning the way we were. We simply smiled at them or ignored them. Happy seemed a bit more nervous than either of us. "Natsu… they're looking at you as if you're eating a two-week old salmon" he whispered into my ear. I shot him a smile as I had done the onlookers.

"Don't worry Happy, they may find it a bit odd, but just ignore them". Happy seemed unsure. I patted him on the head gently. "If me and Sting don't care about those gawkers then why should you buddy?". He smiled but was still left uneasy, those judging stares must get to him.

When we reached the guild Happy was more than happy to be out of the streets of people, and away from all their stares. We walked into the guild to be greeted by Erza. "Your later than usual Natsu" she said flatly. "You kept me waiting".

I dropped my head low. "I'm sorry Erza" I said fearful of incurring the wrath of the red-head. She shrugged. "At least you took the liberty of escorting our guest around town. For that I will forgive you" she said, pulling me into a throat crushing, bone cracking, embrace. She then shoved me aside whilst she approached Sting. I saw a brief flash of fear run through his deep blue eyes. It caused a smile to tug at my lips. Even he was afraid of Erza, despite the fact that he was a guest at the guild and knows she wouldn't do anything against him without a _very_ good reason. She then proceeded to almost drag him away. Sting passed me with a slightly shocked expression. "It seems your Master want's to speak with me" he said, passing by on the route to the Guild Master's office.

I smirked as I watched Sting get dragged off and then turned to face my Exceed partner, who had been hovering overhead, watching all this happen with an amused expression. "Come on Happy, let's go sit down" I called up to him.

"It's alright Natsu, I'm gonna go sit over with _Carla_ " he said, pointing to the white exceed female. I rolled my eyes as I watched him float over and land on the table beside her. After a few attempts to get closer to her she turned her back on him, however he did not desist. I moved over to a wall-side table and sat down. After a few moments Lisanna and Mira came over. "Hey Natsu" Lisanna said, taking a seat next to me. Mira sat opposite and all of a sudden I felt quite boxed in. Their grins didn't help.

"So… how did it gooooo?" Lisanna said coyly. I blow out a breath before speaking. _Why are girls so... nosey_ I thought, as I watched the two women both opposite and beside me. I rolled my eyes and answered her question. "The date went perfectly" I said, trying to put on an air of tiredness at their obsessive questioning, but secretly grinning inwardly.

Mirajane was the next to ask a question. "What happened between you two then?" she said quite plainly, obviously trying not to attract anyone's attention. I told her about the restaurant, and when I got to the part about the wine both Mirajane and Lisanna seemed to go really mushy. I tried to ignore their 'awwws' and their softening features and continued telling them about the date. It was quite nice to be able to tell at least someone about me and Sting, however I was quickly realising how tiresome it was to be questioned by two overly-fascinated women. Seriously, guys are waaaaay easier to deal with. When I got to the 'end' of date, lying about anything more than us under tree in the park, I thought I might have to scrape the pair of them off the seat with how mushy they had become.

/

 **General POV**

"Natsu, that's cute, no its _adorable_ " Lisanna said. Squealing with delight she wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck. "L-Lisanna, can't… b-breath…" he gasped. She undid her vice grip around his throat. "Sorry Natsu" she said immediately. Mirajane watched in vague amusement. Never had it occurred to her that Natsu could be so caring and put so much thought into one evening. She smiled. _He really does like Sting…_ she thought, _I just hope understands how much effort Natsu is going too…_

She stood up as Happy flew over to the trio sitting at the table. "Hiya Lisanna" he said with a very happy expression, befitting his name perfectly. "What ya doing?".

Lisanna looked at Natsu before answering. "Natsu was just telling us about yesterday" she said.

Happy grinned. "What, about how he and Sting did some very _naughty_ things last night?" the blue exceed giggled. Natsu sweat dropped, "Happy?!" he cursed. He didn't want _that_ information to be going public. Natsu slammed his hand over the exceeds mouth to avoid any further complications as both Mira and Lisanna were left with a shocked expression. "Natsu, you did what?" Mirajane asked. Natsu hung his head low.

"Sting, kinda well… we kinda… spent the night" he admitted in nothing more than a hoarse whisper. Lisanna still looked dumbfounded. This was not going the way Natsu had planned.

/

 **Natsu POV**

With the information public now, there was no use trying to avoid it. Lisanna seemed to have become mute, unable to get a single coherent sentence together. The thought of me doing, well _that,_ must have been too much for her to get her mind around. I know I seem childish most of the time, an idiot even, but I do know about these kind of things, and I do get certain _urges_.

"Mira, could you take care of Lisanna, she seems to be having trouble" I gestured to the waitress/take-over mage, "I'm gonna have a _talk_ to Happy".

Mirajane complied, dragging her younger sister off to try to sort things out. Once they were gone, and probably still within earshot, now knowing how prying they really were, I unclamped my hand from around Happy's mouth. "Sorry Natsu" he said, apologetically. I shook my head, "Happy, you agreed you'd keep this a secret, and you _have_ to mean it. I know that both Mira and Lisanna know about me and Sting but I don't want any 'private' information getting out. I'm sorry buddy, but if you are going to keep blurting things out like that then I'm gonna have to make sure that you're kept out of the loop just as much as everyone else is, understand me Happy?". I narrowed my gaze onto the exceed.

He nodded, "Aye Natsu, I am gonna keep a tighter hold onto my lips from now on". To emphasize this, he made a zip and lock motion over his mouth. I smiled. Despite his age and more childish antics Happy could be mature when he wanted to. After our 'discussion' I looked up to see Sting coming down the stairs. I waved him over and he sat down.

"Hey Natsu," he said, noting Happy on my lap, "And Happy, what's going on? I just saw Mira looking like she might die of laughter and Lisanna with a face that would be healthy colour for a tomato". I blushed.

"W-well, Sting… they started asking about yesterday, and I told them everything except the end part" Sting nodded, "But then Happy here," I gestured down, "Blurted out the rest, and so they both know what we did."

Sting narrowed his eyes down on my partner. Before Sting could become too cross with the exceed I spoke up again. "He has apologized and promises to not say anything more, isn't that right".

Happy salutes, "Aye sirs" he said enthusiastically. Sting seemed unsure but I would just have to persuade him later.

After a few moments of silence Sting began speaking. "O-okay so some people know, we'll just have to deal with that as it comes. But anyway Natsu, Makarov said that I should continue the inspection and I agreed".

"Okay, so who you with now?" I asked politely.

"Maccao and Wakaba. They've got a short caravan protection job and are going to take Romeo with them too. Should only take up until 7PM. I should be back by dusk."

I pouted, "And what am I supposed to do while you're gone?" I asked in mocking tones.

Sting rolled his eyes, "The same stuff you used to do before I came Natsu" he said exhaustedly.

Lisanna appeared from around a corner and resumed her seat beside me. "Sorry about that Natsu, it's just that…" she noticed Sting there, "Oh, sorry, was I interrupting anything?" she said embarrassed.

I responded first. "Only Sting ditching me here" I said with a pout.

Sting blew air out through his teeth. "Ignore him Lisanna, I've got to continue the inspection and he doesn't like that he can't come along".

Lisanna's face relaxed. "That's fine Sting, I know how stubborn he can be" she said, completely ignoring the fact that I was sitting right beside her. I pouted. "I'm right here you know". She smiled, "Of course you are Natsu" she said, patting my shoulder.

Sting smirked, "Can you take him off my hands for today Lisanna?" he said as if I was some lost puppy in need of a sitter. She nodded, "I've got just the thing to cheer him up."

"Thanks Lisanna" Sting said as he moved to leave, walking over to the guild entrance, where I saw the three aforementioned wizards waiting. Sting left with them, only looking back briefly to shoot a smile in my direction. I scowled in reply and he chuckled as he turned to the slightly confused band of other mages. Although I was a little annoyed that Sting had left, it was soon replaced by longing for the White Dragon Slayer. _What is wrong with me?_ I think, _this is such an annoying feeling, it must be because I love Sting_ I decided.

Lisanna seems to read my thoughts. "What's up Natsu, miss him already?". I scowled at her too.

"I… don't know" I reply, my voice wavering slightly. She cocked her head to the side.

"I've been meaning to ask Natsu," she said, "Do you _like_ Sting?"

"Of course" I say, confused as to why the take-over mage would be asking such a question, when the answer was so obvious. My response did not seem to faze her. "And do you always want to be around him?", she continued. Once again I responded with a look of confusion on my face. "Well, yeah I do".

She smiled even wider. "What is it Lisanna?".

"One last question, do you miss him _right now_?". I only nodded in response and Lisanna squealed in what seemed to be delight. "W-what, Lisanna, what's the matter?".

"Oh Natsu…" she responded, not giving me much insight and, if anything, just making my problem worse. _What is it she knows? Has she figured out just how much I love Sting_ I thought to myself.

/

 **A Little While Later**

After a few hours of training I slumped back down in the guild hall, ordering some food and drink as I passed Mirajane. Gray slumped down opposite me, we had just been sparring, firstly because of an argument, and then later just for the hell of it. The Ice Wizard had sweat running down his forehead. "Y-you… lost that one, flame-brain" he said from across the table. I allowed anger to run rampant across my face. "No, _you lost that one,_ snowball".

Gray returned my look of anger, "No _you did_ , matchstick" he said.

I swung for him, however I was tired and only halfheartedly punched at the space where Gray had been. He'd dodged to the side just in time. "Missed" was all he said as he moved to sit somewhere else, only to be sneak-attacked by Juvia, who'd just come back from a mission. "Oh my darling Gray" she shouted gleefully, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Gray pushed her away, "Knock it off Juvia", he said exhaustedly. I smirked at the two 'love birds'. Suddenly another image filled my mind. It was quite unnerving. I saw a version of me obsessing over Sting, like Juvia did over Gray, and Sting growing bored and pushing me away. That thought filled me with worry.

Mirajane came over carrying the stuff I ordered. "What's wrong Natsu?" she asked concerned.

"Nothing…" I huffed.

She ruffled my hair. "If something's bothering you, you can _always_ talk to me or Lisanna about it" she said reassuringly.

"Humph, only 'cause you want to pry" I said. Mirajane frowned.

"Why ever would I want to do that" she said, moving away from my table.

A short while later Lisanna came to sit by me. "Big sis said you were in a bad mood".

I pouted, "She should mind her own business". Lisanna scowled.

"She just wants to help you Natsu".

"She just wants to _pry_ Lisanna, and so do you".

"Wow, you really are in a bad mood Natsu, what's wrong?" she said, with concern in her voice.

"I just need to figure some stuff out alright" I said at last.

She seemed content with that answer. "Alright Natsu, you need to think, that's fine. But I think you also need to have a bit of distraction, maybe cheer up a bit, hmmm?" Lisanna said, making me look her in the eye. My shoulder's sagged. Lisanna knew me better than anyone.

"Alright Lisanna, what should we do then".

"How about this, you finish eating your food and then come find me, we can go to the market and see if we can find something to make you smile, how does that sound?" she wouldn't take no for an answer so I nodded. "Alright, I'll come find you later".

/

 **Later At The Market**

"I don't know about this Lisanna" I said as the white haired girl dragged me from stall to stall, shop to shop. Whilst we were out she decided to go grocery shopping as well as general shopping for me. She took me to clothe shops, book shops, toy shops, anywhere and everywhere she could think of that might have something to 'cheer me up'. Mostly I just wandered around bored or stared at some gift Lisanna had brought to show me. There was nothing I wanted, well almost nothing. But he was far away right now and I couldn't exactly go tracking him down. He said he'd be back by dusk and I'd just have to wait, no matter how worried I became.

Since having that image of Juvia and Gray as me and Sting I became increasingly concerned about what would happen to me and Sting if we did pursue a romantic relationship. I knew I would never, could never, get bored of him, however that doesn't mean he couldn't get bored of me. _I just really need to see him, be with him…_

Lisanna snapped me out of my pit of worry with her hand waving in front of my face. "Hey Natsu, stop spacing out and focus on forgetting for now, okay?" she said, knowing full well how worried I was, I could hide nothing from her. "Sorry Lisanna" I said apologetically, I knew she was trying to help, however I just couldn't forget these dark thoughts plaguing my mind. That was until I looked up and saw a certain store.

Racing over to it without even a moment's hesitation I peered through the window. I could hear Lisanna's cries as she tried to catch up with me. "Natsuuuu… waaaaait…" she shouted across the market place. I bowed, "Sorry, but I've just had a brilliant idea" I said with a grin. She cast her eyes over to the object of my attentions.

"Natsuuu…" she said, quite surprised at what I had picked out.

"Heh Heh, Sting'll love it" I said with a chuckle.

Lisanna nodded in agreement.

/

 **Sting POV**

I was on the job with Maccao and Wakaba for a little longer than I had expected to be, it was well past dusk when I finally reached the guildhall. Their job had started pretty well, they were supposed to be protecting a caravan for its local stretch of the journey it was on across Fiore, before passing it over to some other guild to continue. There were supposed to be some bandit raids, however when we got to the site there was already a fully-fledged battle raging. The bandits had killed a few merchants, and the rest cowered near their goods, with spears raised out in defense. The bandits had a few mages with them, however they were a push over. Wakaba pulled up a smoke screen and some smoke clones whilst Maccao and Romeo pushed their way through the bandits with flames. Me and Wakaba went over to help secure the remaining merchants, unleashing some smoke and White Dragon magic as we went. I couldn't sit idle by during this fight, didn't really want to either.

After the bandits were dealt with and the caravan was set to moving again there was a minor argument amongst the merchants as to whether they should change course to avoid further trouble. Romeo was surprisingly the one to settle the debate as Maccao had gone on ahead to serve as scout whilst Wakaba lagged behind slightly, to throw up some cover in the event of an ambush or back-attack. I smirked as I watched the smaller fire wizard bark orders at the older merchants. Some tried to disobey, however he set them straight with some well-placed fireballs. _This kid spends too much time around Natsu_ I thought as I watched on. The merchants knew I wasn't allowed to interfere, however that didn't stop them looking to me for support, which I didn't give. I agreed with Romeo, though, and so with minimal interruption after that we were able to be rid of our charge and return to the guild.

Watching Romeo had reminded me of Natsu and as the job progressed I found myself envisioning the Fire Dragon Slayer in various scenarios. Eventually my thoughts turned a little darker as I was reminded of our _activity_ from last night and I had to quickly come up with a convincing lie as Romeo saw me smirking to myself. He had seemed concerned that he had done something wrong that would reflect badly on the guild, and so he was quite happy to accept another explanation for my amusement. I once again found myself reflecting on my thoughts, wondering why I felt so attached to Natsu, and missed the Fire Dragon Slayer like I did, even though we only parted company earlier today.

When I reached the guildhall that night after our job I was desperate to see Natsu. I pushed open the doors to the guild and entered. It was quite quiet as most of the wizards had went home, including Natsu it would seem, as I could not see or smell him anywhere nearby. It was then that Mirajane approached me. "Hello Sting," she said, nodding politely, "If you're looking for Natsu then he went home earlier. He seemed in a bit of a sulk". I looked at the take-over mage with a face of worry. "Was Natsu here for a while before that?" I asked, worried even more. She nodded, "Yes, he waited around for a bit and then marched off to his house, why, what's wrong?" she said empathetically. I just smiled, trying to cheer myself up more than her. "It's nothing, I'll go and see him now." She nodded in understanding and let me leave.

 _I wonder how upset he is_ I thought as I exited the guildhall. I figured I should have probably reported to Makarov to tell him I was passing Maccao and Wakaba's job as well, however I then decided I'd just tell him in the morning tomorrow.

/

After walking to Natsu's house in the woods, which took longer than I expected in the dark, I had some time to think. Running through scenarios which could occur, including some quite dire ones like Natsu and me actually coming to blows, I prepared myself for any conflict which could arise. I knocked on the door, but then realised that Natsu might be asleep, and not respond. The door did open, however, and a fuzzy, blue face responded. "Who is it?" Happy said blearily. I waved, more out of apology then greeting, "Hiya Happy, is Natsu in there? Or is he asleep…". The exceed looked me up and down.

"Yeah Natsu's in here, but he's asleep on the couch. It seemed he wanted to wait for you but the guy couldn't keep his eyes open for more than two minutes, I swear he could sleep through and earthquake". I laughed at Happy's comments and crept into the house as Happy closed the door behind me. "I'll wait upstairs" he whispered, "to give you guys some privacy". I mouthed a silent thank you to him, as I made my way over to the sleeping form of Natsu on his couch. Happy nodded in response and flew up the stairs as silently as he could.

Once he was gone I tippy-toed up to Natsu and watched as he slept. Natsu was on his back and I couldn't help but watch the rise and fall of his chest, with his arm draped over himself as if it was some kind of blanket. A little part of me melted inside watching the sleeping Dragon Slayer. I couldn't be mad at him like this, although if he woke he probably would be. I decided I wouldn't try to wake him just yet, I wanted to watch him sleep for a little while longer. I sat back on my heels so that my face was level with Natsu's head and I felt my hand instinctively go up and run my fingers through his pink strands. _He has the smoothest hair_ I thought as I felt the locks beneath my palm. Eventually Natsu stirred, it seemed my playing with his hair woke him. He looked blearily at me, in a still-not-yet-awake state. "Oh, g'morning Sting" he said, still obviously tired.

As soon as he said my name he shot awake. "Oh, Sting, you're back" he said gleefully. I smiled at him. _Still as energetic as always, even when he just wakes up_. I nodded in response to his statement. "Yep, just got back. Mira said you were waiting for me at the guild, I'm sorry for making you wait, it's just that the job had a few-" Natsu embraced me.

"I don't care, Sting, I'm just glad you're okay and, more importantly, you're back". My smile widened, Natsu wasn't angry at me. "Oh, and I've got something to show you" the Fire Dragon Slayer said a moment later. He took me by the hand and pulled me down onto the seat beside him. He got up and wandered off, only to return a moment later, carrying a box that was wrapped in coloured paper.

Confusion touched my features. "Natsu, what's this for?" I asked, puzzled by his actions, "You do know it's not my birthday yet, right?". Natsu nodded and grinned.

"Yeah, I know, it's just a little gift from me."

"Oh, alright then" I said, still puzzled by the box now set in my lap. Natsu sat down and looked expectantly into my eyes. "You can open it" he said with a gleeful grin. I couldn't really contain my own delight at the Dragon Slayer's child-like amusement, nor could I cap my own curiosity. So I ripped the wrapping paper off and torn the lid off of the box underneath. I gasped in surprise.

In the box there were two little plushies, one of me, and another of Natsu.

/

Looking at Natsu even more intrigue filled my mind. "Errr… they're plushies Natsu" I said to him. He rolled his eyes. "I know that Sting, but they're _magical_ plushies". This piqued my interest. "Oookay then… so how are they magical?" I knew he was dying to tell me. He took the box from me and pulled out the plushie of himself. "Here, squeeze its stomach". I did so with a little bit of uncertainty as to what Natsu was getting at. As I squeezed a noise came out of the plushie. FIRE DRAGON ROAR it shouted mechanically. I laughed at the Natsu-esque impression. "That's pretty cute Natsu, but why are you giving it to me?". He blushed before he answered.

"They have a lacrima inside which replays noises that have been implanted into it. The plushies come with five preset noises, activated by the stomach, but they can also convey a single recorded message if you press their head". This rose my intrigue to a whole new level. "So what did you record?" I asked with obvious interest. This caused Natsu to blush even more. "W-well… I just couldn't find the right way to tell you this Sting, and well…" I wanted him to finish before I pressed the plushy to find out for myself. I noticed that my heart rate had elevated and that I was holding my breath. A cascade of questions filled my mind.

 _What is he trying to say but can't?_

 _Is he going to say what I think he is?_

 _Does he LOVE me?_

 _Do I really love him?_

I began feeling quite overwhelmed. Natsu didn't speak for what felt like an eternity. Eventually I squeezed the plushy, more out of anticipation than out of interest, realising my actions only a fraction too late.

"I love you Sting" the recording of Natsu played out.

Natsu groaned.

 **End of Chapter 10**


	11. Chapter 11 - The 'L' Word

**Chapter 11 – The 'L' word**

 **Natsu POV**

I watched as Sting unconsciously gripped tighter at the plushie of me, his intrigue clear on his face. He wanted me to say it before the little toy did, however I couldn't bring myself to confess. I'd known I was in love with him for a while, but no matter how much I wanted to I couldn't bring myself to say it to him, not right now anyways. That was what inspired my idea for the plushie in the first place. After my growing fear from earlier about us splitting up I couldn't just sit on my feelings any more, however I couldn't admit to them verbally either. So I bought another version of me to say it anyways, all he had to do was press its head and the recorded message would be played.

"I love you Sting".

Those four simple words that I could not say. I groaned at the recording. It was out, all of it, and now it was up to Sting to decide how to proceed after this. I couldn't say anything until he made his opinion clear.

/

Waiting for Sting to speak felt like an eternity. He just sat looking at the plushie, the words seem to have sent his mind wandering. I stared, worry filling my chest as I watched his lips move ever so slightly in thought, obviously having difficulty processing the information. Eventually he looked up, straight at me. From the look on his face he was equally as unsure on how to proceed. "Natsu…" he said, reaching his hand up to stroke my cheek. I let him, fearful that he might reject me after this last touch. "I think I… love you too" he stuttered. That sent my mind spiraling. _He… loves me too…_

I realised my hand had gone up to his face and was stroking his cheek as he was doing to mine. "Sting… I'm sorry for…" I muttered. Sting smiled, warm and comforting.

"What are you sorry for Natsu?" he said, allowing his hand to come down from my face, only to rest on my thigh. "For this?" he said, waving the plushie he still gripped in his other hand, "You did hear me Natsu, I said I love you too".

Finally, my mind processed Sting's response and I embraced him quite strongly. "I… I…" I stuttered, unable to speak. "I'm so happy" I said at last, pulling away from the embrace. Sting was still smiling, and it rained down upon me like rays of light from the sun. He held up the plushie Natsu for me to take whilst he picked up his own plushie. "This is so cute Natsu" he said, mock tickling the belly of his plushie, "What gave you the idea for these?".

I blushed, unsure of whether I should tell him about my fears. Eventually I decided it would be best to tell the truth. "Umm… Sting," I said, trying to get the giggling Dragon Slayer to stop and look at me, this was a serious matter after all, "I have actually liked you for a while, since the Games". He nodded in understanding.

"Alright Natsu, you've liked me for a while, even when I was such a jerk, but what does this have to do with these".

"As I said I've liked you for a while, but after the Games I realised I always kept thinking of you. Your face popping into my head, your… ummm… body too" I blushed a little and he chuckled.

"Alright, go on Natsu".

"Yeah… so… I kinda _always_ liked you, and then when I realised that I kept thinking of you I started to realise something else…". I stopped to allow this to sink in. Sting's eyes drifted down to the plushie I was holding. "That you loved me" he said finished my sentence for me. I nodded in agreement.

He then began to smile much more broadly than before. "Natsu, when I came to Fairy Tail on this inspection I kind of had another reason to, other than the inspection of course." This time it was my turn to nod and allow him to speak. "I came in order to solidify our friendship. After the Games you said that you were okay with us in Sabertooth, however I wasn't totally sure if you thought of me as a friend. I really wanted to befriend my childhood idol and when you started ignoring me I thought that it was because you still hadn't forgiven me for how I acted during the Games." I nodded grimly in realization.

"I'm so sorry Sting, I just tried to avoid you because I didn't want things to get complicated, especially since I thought I loved you". Sting smile warmed me.

"I know that now Natsu, and that makes me feel sooo much better, so thank you for this" he said, holding up his plushie. I smiled too, but then I realised I had not yet told him everything, and my smile disappeared.

"Sting, there was one more reason I gave you this" I admitted, my eyes now downcast. Sting raised my head back up to face him. "Whatever it is Natsu, you can tell me". I looked into his eyes, deadly serious.

"Alright, well… earlier today I was sparring with Gray and when we went back into the guild… well, Juvia was there and she was all clingy to Gray like she normally is."

"What's so odd about that Natsu, and what do they have to do with _us_?" Sting questioned, unclear of where my rambling was leading.

"W-well, seeing them like they are got me thinking. Gray is always so tired and exhausted and _bored_ around Juvia. I sort of thought about _us_ and then, w-well… I began thinking about you getting bored of me and leaving me" I admitted at last.

Sting looked on at me as I confessed my fears. Once I finished he didn't even speak, he just pulled me into a tight embrace. I willed back a few tears, admitting this to him was harder than I thought it would be. "Natsu, you're such an idiot…" he said, face nuzzled into my shoulder.

When we broke apart Sting brushed the few stray tears from my cheeks and tried to reassure me. "You bought _these,_ did all of _this_ , because you were scared that I'd leave you. Natsu… I like you, love you even, and although I can't say for certain what will happen in the future, or even tomorrow, I can say one thing. I will NOT be leaving you anytime soon, especially after all the pain I've caused you recently."

I absorbed Sting's words like a sponge does water. I needed to hear him say that. It ignited something deep within me which burned my other fears to a crisp. _Sting says he loves me and that he will never leave me, I can't go proving him wrong. I MUST be strong for him both now, and in the future._

/

 **Sting POV**

Hearing about how hurt Natsu had felt only earlier today whilst I was one the mission completely crushed me. I had no idea he'd felt like this for so long, and then hearing him say he was afraid I'd leave him nearly finished me. I knew that my feelings for the Fire Dragon Slayer ran pretty deep, but up until now I'd never known just how deep.

 _They are like the ocean, never ending._

I couldn't cause him so much pain or hurt, and I _certainly_ didn't want to leave him, not after all this. Not after he looked after me. Not after he admitted he loves me.

I comforted him as best I could. He seemed to calm down quite a bit once he came clear. But when he pulled away from our embrace I saw that he was crying. Not once could I recall Natsu crying before I woke in that doctor's bed, and now he was blubbering right in front of me once again. I stroked the few tears he shed and kissed him lightly. We sat further back into the couch and he curled up with his head resting on my chest. "Sorry about this Sting, crying that is. I never knew I could be such a girl".

I chuckled. "It's all right Natsu, I'm not gonna tell anyone." Natsu looked straight up at me. Black eyes with the faintest hints of green, but with that same roaring fire just beneath the surface. I could get lost looking into those eyes for eternity. His smile was equally as enchanting, every time I saw it I just felt ten times lighter, like whatever problems I was facing just got burned away to ash and dust.

Natsu turned his attention to the small fire place. He raised his hand and a fire began flickering in its center. The dancing light illuminated the room and I realised how dark it had been before. It warmed me, both physically and emotionally. Fire was the core of Natsu, his very essence could be seen in the flames he creates, and this small fire before me was yet another extension of himself, created to illuminate and to warm rather than destroy or burn. "Your fire's are always beautiful" I voiced my thoughts without realising, causing Natsu to beam with pride.

"Thanks Sting" he said grinning, "I like to sit and stare into the flames sometimes, just to get lost in my thoughts and fantasies."

"What, like fantasies of _me_ " I teased.

"W-well…" Natsu stammered. I chuckled and stroked his head.

"Don't worry, I know what you mean". He rested back down on my chest and I found myself staring at the back of his head, watching the haphazard patterns in his pink hair with an almost hypnotic gaze. It was only broken by Natsu speaking. "Sting, you're here, but where is Happy?" he questioned. I realised the exceed must still be upstairs. "He let me in actually, since you were asleep" I informed Natsu, "He said he'd go upstairs to give us some privacy."

Natsu looked up at me. "He must have gone to sleep, if I focus I can just hear his breathing."

"Wow, your senses are way better than mine Natsu, I'm a Dragonslayer too, third-generation even, and I can't hear him at all." Natsu smirked.

"I've always been in touch with my more… _primal_ side" he boasted.

"Really, last night I wouldn't have guessed since you were so unsure about everything" I mocked. He pouted and cast his eyes back to the flames in the fireplace. "W-well last night was an exception" he huffed. I chuckled even deeper.

"Awwww… is someone embarrassed now?" I teased again.

"N-no, I just…" he didn't finish. He closed his eyes and lay further into my chest, edging up onto my shoulder. I rested my head in his pink locks, taking in his scent.

Before we both knew it we fell asleep, bodies cuddled together.

/

 **The Next Morning**

We awoke to the sounds of a giggling exceed. "Good Morning sleepy heads" Happy said flying an inch away from my face. He held a pen up and grinned with excitement. "G'morning Happy" Natsu said groggily. We were still on Natsu's couch, however the light emanating from the windows told us it was not that early in the morning. I opened my eyes fleetingly before closing them again. I didn't want to leave this place on Natsu's couch, not when Natsu was curled up in a ball both beside and on top of me. It was just too perfect a place to lie down and rest.

"Come on Sting, we gotta get up" Natsu said. _Damn it, why does he always want to be up so damned early? Why can't he just lie here with me?_

I opened my eyes and then burst out laughing. Happy was floating a slightly further distance away, however he still had the pen in his hand. The sight I had awoken to was on that I never thought I'd see. Natsu was sitting up with cat whiskers, rounded glasses, stars and other graffiti scrawled all over his face in black ink. "What's so funny?" Natsu said, confused. I couldn't respond, I was too short of breath. Natsu grumbled and got up to see what amused me so much. He went over to the kitchen and ran some water. "HAPPY!" the roar came a minute later. For his part the little blue exceed burst out laughing, equally as hard as me. Natsu stomped into the living space and grabbed the cat by his tail as he tried to flee. "Ow ow ow Natsu" he whined, "It was just a joke".

"It's not a very funny one" Natsu retorted. He snatched the marker pen out of his partner's paws and proceeded to scrawl all over his face. He wrote IDIOT in large black letters over Happy's forehead before letting the cat fly free. "That's not very imaginative Natsu" Happy sulked as he flew off to the bathroom to clean the stuff off his fur. Natsu laughed indignantly, "You mocking my art Happy" he said to the retreating form of the exceed. I watched in vague amusement at the scene between the partner wizards. My hysteria subsiding as I realised that I must have some markings scrawled across my face too. I rushed into the kitchen and looked at my reflection in the water of the sink. No black markings to be found. I wandered back into the living room to see Natsu sulking in the chair. "Looks like a passed unharmed" I said upon re-entering. Natsu grinned in response. "Not really" he said, gesturing downwards. I followed his pointing finger to my bare abs. Written across them were the words 'Property of Natsu Dragneel'. I gasped.

"HAPPY" I roared, realising I sounded just like Natsu had a moment ago. For his part Natsu began giggling. "This isn't funny Natsu" I said to him.

"Yeah it is" he laughed back. I began laughing too and collapsed onto the seat next to him. Once our burst of hysteria passed we realised that we'd need to clean this stuff up.

"Natsu, we're gonna have to get this stuff off before we get to the guild" I said to the pink haired Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah yeah, I know Sting, although…" he trailed off.

"What is it Natsu?" I questioned, curious as to what he was thinking.

"I kinda like that on you, tells everyone who's property you are" he smiled.

"Yeah, but we're still being discreet, somehow I don't think PROPERTY OF NATSU scrawled across my abs is discreet, do you?" I rolled my eyes.

"Fine fine, I'll help you get it off."

"Wha-" I yelped as Natsu covered the distance between us is record time and ran his tounge along my abdomen. "S-stop it… Natsu, that tickles…" I giggled as he smudged the writing with his motions.

He pulled back, tongue lolling out of his mouth. "Thaft difn't tasteff nife" he spluttered. He stood up from the crouched position he was in. "It doesn't surprise me Natsu, you just licked up ink you idiot". Natsu just grinned.

"But it was worth it to see you squirm like that Sting. You must be _really_ ticklish if that affected you". He ran his fingers up my sides, causing me to squirm again. "Yep, you're really ticklish Sting, this could be _fun_ " he smirked at me. I threw a couch cushion at his face.

"Shut it flame brain" I barked.

Natsu giggled some more. "Maybe I really _shouldn't_ have left you at the guild. Since then you've started using the same nicknames". I smirked back at him.

/

After our brief encounter Natsu proceeded to go upstairs to find Happy and apologise whilst I went to the kitchen to try to use some water to get the damned ink off of me. "Stupid Happy" I moped as I failed to do anything more than leave a big black smudge on my stomach.

Eventually Natsu came down the stairs again, this time with a flying blue exceed in tow. He walked into the kitchen whilst Happy sat at the table. Once he walked over to me he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. "It's not going to come off like that Sting" Natsu whispered from my shoulder. I turned around to look at him, he was grinning again. "How about I take a shower then?" I asked the pink head, already knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"You just read my mind" he grinned back.

Natsu took my hand and lead me upstairs whilst Happy wolf-whistled. "If you two are going to do _anything,_ could you keep it quiet?" he said. Natsu shouted down the stairs in response.

"Not promising anything Happy". Before we entered the bathroom I could hear Happy groan.

/

 **General POV**

They stripped off and hopped into Natsu's shower together, bodies rubbing against each other under the warm water. They hadn't done anything since last night and both were craving some contact. As soon as their bodies collided their lips were shortly followed. Natsu groaned as Sting dominated the kiss once again, tongue exploring the still unfamiliar cavern.

Sting's hands ran along the Fire Dragon Slayers shoulders as Natsu groped Stings bare ass. The pair were quieter than they had been previously, both consciously aware of the little exceed sitting downstairs from them, although both still desperate to do _something_. Their members, now hard, rubbed against each other, causing them both to moan loudly.

Eventually, they had to break from air, each savoring the look on the other's face before once again devouring each other's mouths. Sting ran his hands through that pink hair he loves so much, enjoying it even more now that it was drowned in water. Natsu ran his hand up Sting's spine, starting at the base, whilst his other hand ran along Stings muscles. The movement of Natsu's hand further removed some of the black ink that had been there, whilst the ink on Natsu's face was draining off under the torrent.

They parted again, if only to watch as the ink disappeared. Sting ran his thumb over Natsu's cheek. "Natsu… do you wanna…" he panted.

"Of course I do Sting".

Discussion over they clashed once again. This time Sting's hand ran along the front of Natsu body, feeling his abs before taking his member in hand and stroking it at a slow speed. Natsu replied in kind, hands running down Sting's back before he parted one hand around the front and began stroking Sting's member with a speed only slightly faster than Sting. The White Dragon Slayer tightened his grip, causing the pink haired mage to yelp. They both began stroking faster, loving the pleasured noises they were causing to erupt from the other.

They stopped kissing as Natsu began moaning overly loudly. Sting trailed kisses down his neck as he neared the pink buds on Natsu's chest. He took one into his mouth, sucking and nipping and finally leaving a bite mark. "S-st-Sting…" the Fire Dragon Slayer moaned as he felt the teeth sink in. He enjoyed this feeling, the marking, he wanted more. No… he _needed_ more.

Sting trailed more kisses horizontally along Natsu's chest, before taking the other pink bud into his mouth. The feeling overwhelmed Natsu. Sting gripped tighter onto Natsu's cock and tugged roughly at it. "Natsu," he whispered, taking the nipple out of his mouth, "Come for me".

Natsu was ready to comply. With a few more strokes he was at his limit. Sting felt the Fire Dragon Slayers grip tighten around his own cock and he moaned loudly as Natsu came over the pair of them. Sting kissed that perfect mouth to silence the _very_ loud moans escaping the Fire Dragon Slayers mouth and try desperately to save Happy from hearing them both together like this.

They parted and Natsu began stroking Sting off with increasing vigor, wanting desperately to hear him begging for it. "Sting," he said huskily beside the blonde's ear, "I wanna hear you begging… _pleading"_. That voice sent a shiver down Sting's spine, there was so much lust in it.

"O-of c-course… N-n-Natsu… p-please do it h-harder" he moaned out.

Natsu stroked more roughly. "Again" he demanded, reveling in this feeling of dominance.

"P-please Natsu" Sting breathed. Again Natsu stroked more roughly, with an increasing pace.

"AGAIN" he demanded.

"P-PLEASE NATSU, I WANT TO…" Natsu stroked with vigorous speed, loving that pleading voice screaming out of Sting to make him come. Soon the White Dragon Slayer was reduced to nothing more than strangled moans beneath the Fire Dragon's hand.

"Natsu… gonna come…" he warned and Natsu squeezed lightly as he increased his pace.

"NATSUUU…" Sting moaned, before he was cut off by Natsu's lips pressed against his. He came over both of their stomachs and once it subsided they ceased their kiss. They both looked down to see themselves covered in both their own and each other's seed and a smile crept onto both of their faces.

/

Once they cleaned up and wandered back down stairs, hand in hand, they were met with an annoyed look on Happy's face. "You call that quiet, I bet some of the guild could hear you two" he scolded. They both looked sheepishly at the blue exceed. "Sorry," they said in unison, "But it was just sooo _good_ ". Happy looked at the pair of them and sighed.

"You two are gonna get caught acting like this you know" he said. They both grinned. As time went on they both were beginning to like the idea of getting caught. It seemed to make everything so much more exciting. "Now let's eat and leave" the exceed said, "We're already late to get to the guild." For once the maturity in this flying cat came shining through, surprising the Dragon Slayers.

But he was right, they did need to get to the guild.

 **End of Chapter 11**


	12. Chapter 12 - News

**Chapter 12 – News**

 **Natsu POV**

After Happy's brief scolding we left for the guild. Happy rolled his eyes as we both held hands as we walked. "You know that if we run into anyone from the guild you two will so be _busted_ " Happy chirped from above us as we left the grounds of our house. We just smiled at each other. "Then we'll just have to make sure they don't talk" Sting said to the blue exceed, before planting a kiss on my cheek. Happy rolled his eyes again. "Do what you want guys, but if you get caught I am not helping you to worm your way out of it". Sting and I both chuckled as the blue exceed flew some ways forward with a pouting face. "If the wind changes you might get stuck with that face" Sting called out to my advancing partner. In response Happy stuck his tongue out. I laughed, watching my best buddy and my lover argue and throw comments, insults and even funny faces back and forth as we walked, until the pair of them were laughing like a couple of children.

"Your so cute when you go all childish, Sting" I said to the White Dragon Slayer walking in step with me. He pouted, "Who are you calling childish Natsu" he said, "especially since you act more childish than anyone, particularly around Gray". Now it was my turn to pout.

"Yeah, but Gray's an asshole" I stated plainly. This caused Sting to break out into a huge grin.

"Your more of an asshole than you admit to Natsu, I've seen how hostile you can be towards Gray. You provoke him." Sting said, snickering at my reaction.

"Do not" I growled mockingly aggressive.

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"This is becoming a bit of a pantomime. But you _really_ do Natsu" Sting finished.

"Humph…" I huffed, pulling my hand away from Sting's and savoring the look of loss on his face at the missing contact.

"Awww… don't be like that Natsu" Sting said, reclaiming my hand, "You may be a bit of an asshole to other people, but to me you're my _little dragon_."

This last comment, no… pet name, caused a fluttery feeling to grow in my chest. I loved it when Sting called me _his_ , especially _his dragon_ , although he could drop the 'little'. I rubbed my head against his shoulder as we continued down the path to Magnolia town. "Call me that again Sting" I pleaded in a hushed voice. He looked a little confused.

"Call you what, Natsu?" he asked.

I blushed. "Call me… your little dragon. It makes me feel all funny inside". Now it was Sting's turn to blush. He would deny this if I asked but deep down I know he likes to call me 'his' because, like me, he was a Dragon Slayer, and Dragon's didn't ask, they claimed. They claimed and showed off their prize. And to us we were each other's prize.

"A-alright Natsu…" Sting said, looking deep into my eyes, blue to black/green "My little dragon". Calling me by that name once again stirred up these feelings I never realised I had. We stopped walking and kissed, lightly and tenderly. Only the sound of Happy flying ahead of us dragged us on to Magnolia. Right now I would have rather gone back home with Sting.

/

 **At The Guild**

We entered the guild sometime around 10AM. Upon entering we were greeted by the Queen of the Fairies herself, Titania Erza, as we had been over the past few occasions. "Good morning once again Mater Sting and Natsu" she greeted, intending to be warm but still terrifying. "The Master would like to speak with you" she directed this at Sting. He nodded, "I had something pressing to do last night and couldn't deliver my final report of yesterday's job at such a late time of night" he stated plainly. Erza nodded in understanding and the pair left for Gramps' office, with Sting only glancing back briefly. In that fleeting moment I saw the apologetic look in his eyes, however I just smiled back reassuringly and he seemed contented to leave it at that.

I turned to where my exceed partner had been a moment ago, only to find him elsewhere in the guild, bothering Carla and Wendy. "This is becoming a habit," I said to myself, a little annoyed, "Sting and Happy ditching me as soon as we enter the guild." I sulked as I walked up to the counter and ordered a coffee from Mirajane.

"Good morning Natsu" she greeted me as I approached. I grunted in response only to find a strong grip on my shoulder. "Sis said _GOODMORNING NATSU_ " Lisanna reprimanded, sneak attacking me from behind. "G'morning" the forced response came from my mouth. Lisanna and Mira laughed as the younger Straus went off to talk to Elfman whilst the older Straus set about fulfilling mine and other wizard's morning food and drink orders. They both could tell that I really wasn't in the mood to deal with any snooping from Mira or Lisanna this morning.

The only intrusion to my solitary place at the bar was when returned Mira handed me the coffee I ordered before she was quickly off again to speak to another guild mage at the bar. As I brought the coffee to my lips I felt a hand run up my spine. "Good morning pyro" Gray said as he came to sit beside me. Once again I grunted in response to the unwanted intrusion of my privacy. "Oh come on Natsu, I know you're a bit of an animal, but even you can talk properly" Gray said in a mocking tone.

"Shut it snowball" I said aggressively, I wasn't in the mood for Gray's antics.

"Okay, seriously, what's up Natsu?" he said. I wasn't sure if he was being serious so I just kept quiet. "Fine, if you're not gonna talk then at least you could say why you've been spending so much time with Sting?" Gray said, raising his eyebrows mockingly as surprise passed over my features. _What is he implying_? I thought, _does he think, no… does he KNOW what me and Sting have been doing?_

"What about Sting?" I said, trying to pass off my surprise as mere shock at the question matter.

"Well, there's a little rumor running around at the minute, about how you and Sting are always around each other, and how you both arrive at the same time to the guild in the morning. Some people are saying stuff Natsu, and I kinda just wanted to know as your _friend_ if there was anything up."

For once Gray wasn't being a jackass, however it worried me that there was a rumor, or rumors, spreading about me and Sting. "It's nothing, they're just rumors and nothing else" I said plainly, desperate for some change in topic.

"Well, okay, if you say so. Anyway, have you dealt with that problem you were having?" Gray said, I was glad of the change of topic, although it did confuse me, _what problem was he talking about._

"What problem?" I said perplexed.

"Remember before the job with Sting, on the night of that big party, you hung around upstairs all night, wouldn't tell me what's wrong. Since then you've been much better so I was wondering if you fixed whatever problem you were having."

I was stunned by Gray's show of concern for me. I know he's my guildmate and my friend, heck we're on the same team as well, but I'd never seen him show so much concern for me before. I nodded to avoid any prolonged silence. "Yeah, it's _much_ better now" I couldn't stop the grin from forming on my lips. That was certainly the truth but not the WHOLE truth.

"Good to hear, now I gotta go, something Gramps wants to speak to me about." And with that Gray downed the remainder of his own drink and left. Once again I was left alone.

/

After about ten more minutes Sting arrived back from the Master's office. "Hey Natsu" he said, approaching me as I played pool in the entertainment center of the guild hall. "Hey Sting" I put the cue down and we sat down at a booth. "So, what did Gramps say?" I asked him, anxious about him leaving on another job, but it was his reason for being here after all, so I couldn't really complain. Sting sat with his chin resting in his palm. "He gave me another inspected job, however we're not due to leave till around 3PM though". I smiled at him, excited that I got to spend more of the day with him than I thought. "Alright, so we've got some time then". Sting grinned, happy to see me so excited. "Wanna do something?" he asked me. I thought about it then a grin plastered itself across my face as well. "Yep, but let's go to your inn room first." He raised an eyebrow. "Again?" he questioned in an amused tone. I nodded vigorously. He couldn't deny his 'little dragon' it's fun.

/

We walked from the guildhall to Sting's inn and we _still_ got stares and sideways glances from some passersby. "Seriously, you'd think they'd not be used to us by now" I whispered to Sting, who walked in step with me to my right. "It's fine Natsu, just leave them" he said back.

"But they keep staring".

"So let 'em" Sting said casually. He didn't seem to care; however, I was a bit more skeptical since Gray said there was rumors spreading. I shook my head; I really shouldn't care either.

When we got to the inn room Sting unlocked the door with his key and wandered inside. I followed him, only to be dragged inside and pressed up against the door, slamming it closed in the process.

Sting kissed me passionately, his tongue pressing against my bottom lip, begging for intrusion. I opened to allow him entrance, an invitation he readily accepted. He explored my mouth with his tongue as my hands slipped around his waist, pushing our bodies even closer together until our bared abs pressed up against each other. We stayed like this for a few moments, enjoying the sensations of the instant, before breaking apart for air. We start to bring our faces close together again, however Sting stopped just short of engaging me in another kiss. "Natsu…" he breathed, hot breath against my skin turning me on even more, "I wanna be with you like this all the time…".

"I know; I feel the same as you Sting" I responded.

"But we know that we can't so we gotta make the most of the time we get, I've nearly finished my inspection, and once it's done I've gotta go back to Sabertooth."

"I know," I repeated, "But Sabertooth isn't _that_ far from here, I could visit when I go on jobs. Anyways, that's not for a while yet, you just said we gotta make the most of our time so… why waste it right now worrying" I finished by kissing him again. This kiss was more of a reassurance for Sting, than a passionate one. Our tongues engaged each other's, coiling and stroking against each other, but with no entrance into a single mouth. When we broke apart Sting was smiling once again, "Alright Natsu, let's not worry" he said, directing my slowly towards the bedroom.

He pushed me onto the bed in a sitting position, sitting himself on my knees. "You're mine Natsu" Sting said, more fiercely attacking my lips then before. When we broke apart for the third time we were both left panting, a string of saliva joining both of our mouths still. "And you're _mine_ , Sting" I replied, groping at the White Dragon's ass. Sting laughed.

"Wow, you're a really _horny_ dragon, my _little dragon_ " Sting said, clearly enjoying the satisfied grin growing on my face as Sting used that name again, albeit deliberately.

"Shut up and kiss me Sting" I said, raising my face up to his, and enjoying, as I always do, the feeling of his lips pressed against my own. Sting ran his hands along my shoulders, stopping at the borderline between my open chested waistcoat and my bare arms. He proceeded to run them around the front of my chest, and, realising what he was doing just before he did it, he stripped off the waistcoat, throwing it into a crumpled pile somewhere behind him.

He stopped kissing me to get off of my legs and push me further up the bed. He had removed his gloves when he had entered the room, and I felt his bare hands press roughly against my muscular chest. He then removed his own shirt and vest, leaving his suspenders loose around his waist. I ate up the sight of his uncovered torso before me. Although we had now had sex a couple of times, he was still completely alien to me when he was naked. And such a perfect sight it was too. He ran his arm around my back, bringing my face towards his as our lips crushed back together. Our tongues intertwined, however there was no fight for dominance, Sting had already, and would always, hold that place. Sting pushed me further into the mattress as he ran his hands along my abs, stopping once he reached the rim of my trousers. He undid the buckle of my belt, whilst I ran one hand down his back and the other rested on his ass, holding it quite firmly.

Sting undid my belt and began to tug at my trousers. I already had a tent in my pants as he slipped the trousers further down my legs. I could see from my viewpoint that Sting also was fully hard, stiffened member trying desperately to escape the confined space of Sting's underwear. I stopped my groping of his ass and went to remove his trousers. Feeling what I was doing, he sent one of his hands to grip my wrists whilst he stopped lowering my own trousers any further down my legs. "Natsu," he breathed huskily, control clear in his voice, he was so desperate for it, "Let me strip for you, please". I watched in amazement as the Guildmaster of Sabertooth, climbed back off my body to slowly pull his trousers down his legs, member pressing hard through his underwear as he slipped the trousers off his legs and threw them on the floor. I bit my lip, hard. That had been a LOT hotter than I was expecting it to be. Trying to control myself and failing, I pulled my own trousers off, leaving myself as naked as the man in front of me.

"S-Sting… your too… goddamned sexy…" I breathed as Sting resumed his position on top of me. Sting grinned evilly. "I've gotta remember this" he said, as he ran his hand down my body and palmed my groin. "Nnngh…" I moaned as I felt spasms of pleasure run through my body. "Sooo… good…".

Sting continued grinning, savoring the noises escaping my lips uncontrollably. "Hah, your sooooo cute _my little dragon_ " he said, those words sending a whole other kind of pleasure running through me, however this was dwarfed by the feeling of heat pulsing in my cock. "S-Sting… I wanna… wanna come…" I breathed heavily. Sting withdrew his hand from my cock.

"Not yet Natsu" he said, more a command than a statement. I whimpered, actually _whimpered_ , me… a Dragon Slayer.

Sting then once again climbed further back, and his hands traced patterns over his own body. He reached for his own underwear and tugged at them, but didn't remove them yet. "Damn it Sting, you're such a tease" I said a little annoyed. I was _aching_ for it now. He chuckled a little darkly, "Patience my little dragon" he said. I let out another small moan.

He edged closer to me and intertwined his fingers with mine. "Strip me Natsu, and I'll fuck you, deal?" he grinned as I ran my arms up his legs and then proceeded to quite hastily tug his underwear down his body. Once his member sprang out he reached down and kissed me one last time before the main event.

We stripped off our underwear, leaving ourselves totally exposed now. Sting ran his hands over my muscles whilst I ran one hand through his hair and another along his spine, tracing patterns into his skin with my fingertips. We both moaned into the kiss as our aching members rubbed against each other. Once we broke apart we were both ragged with lust. "Ready Natsu?" Sting grinned as I nodded my head and he reached over to his bedside table. He reached into his bedside table and to my surprise he brought out some lube. I looked in surprise and he grinned sheepishly. "I kinda… prepared incase this happened."

"Well someone's presumptuous" I retorted, although thankful for his foresight. He covered his fingers in the lube until they were slick enough and he bent over my body, fingers positioned at my hole. "You suuuuuure your ready Natsu" he teased.

"Y-yes, just do it already" I pleaded. Sting didn't really want to wait any longer to he did what he planned to do. He kissed me briefly, before trailing kisses down my jawline, neck, and chest until he reached one of my nipples. He took the bud into his mouth, eliciting a moan from me, before he thrust two fingers into my ass. Sting didn't bother starting with one, he was in too much of a rush now. He thrusted inside me whilst he twirled his tongue around my nipple, nipping and sucking playfully at the bud. _It felt so fucking good_. He thrust faster and faster, adding a third figure into my ass and causing me to groan even more loudly. Sting angled his thrust a little differently each time now, altering the attention of his mouth to the other nipple. "Nnn… nngh… soo... fucking… good" I moaned out as I felt pleasure from both my chest and ass. With his hand Sting added a third pleasure. He began stroking my cock, causing me to moan louder and louder as he squeezed ever so slightly. Once he found my sweet spot in my ass I was done for. "St… Sting… STING…" I screamed as he rammed his fingers finally into that sweet bundle of nerves. I came over his chest, with a little on his face as he pulled back in a little surprise. He lapped up the come he could reach with his tongue, however I drew his face close to mine and licked off the rest quite quickly. I was still reveling in the feeling of those penetrating fingers. He smiled at me as I drew back from cleaning his face. "Natsu, a little more warning next time" he said as he removed his fingers. I did not like the feeling of loss, however I knew that they would soon be replaced by something much _better_. "Sorry Sting" I said apologetically as the White Dragon Slayer repositioned himself. "You'd better be, cause I wanna hear you come all over again when I'm inside you". I blushed and nodded.

"I'm not spent totally yet" I said confidently.

"Good" was all Sting said as he thrust his member inside.

"Oh… god… so good" I cried out as Stings cock penetrated deep. He moved it slowly until it was buried up to his hilt. "You okay Natsu?". I nodded but did not speak. "You want me to wait a moment?" I shook my head. I couldn't wait for this any longer. Sting smiled in understanding, however he seemed a bit unsure so I returned the smile to reassure him I was okay. He pulled his cock out up to its head and then slammed back inside. "Nghnn…" I moaned, my own cock springing back to life. Sting grabbed my reawakened member and began stroking it slowly, in time with his thrusts. The sight of Sting before me, buried deep inside me, those beautiful blue eyes clouded with lust and want and _need_. _So perfect_ , I thought, as my mind dissolved under the new pleasure. "Nghnn… Sting... faster…" I moaned out, Sting replied with a more vigorous thrust, which slammed right against my prostrate. "F-fuck, Natsu… you're so hot and tight" Sting said as he increased the pace of his thrusts. "Oooh… soo good" I shouted out. Stings hand was increasing in pace too. Matching his thrusts stroke for stroke.

Soon we were both unable to utter anything more than 'oh fuck', 'sooooo good' and each other's names. Sting hit with thrust after thrust against my prostrate, his hand flying up and down my member with vigorous speed. Closer and closer I reached my limit once again. "Sti-Sting…" I moaned out eventually, "I'm gonna… I'm gonna come", he said he wanted warning. Sting just increased the pace of his hand. "FUUUUCK…" I shouted as my vision went white, ropes of white, hot seed covering both of our chests. Sting turned his attention then to pounding into me. The sight of my come covered body, and the increased tightness around his cock cause him to moan out even louder than before. "F-fuck Natsu, you're… you're so fucking hot… I'm gonna come". I shot him a devilish grin, which seemed to send him over the edge too.

"NATSU…" he moaned as come filled my ass, his thrust becoming more and more erratic. Once he was spent, Sting pulled out and lay down beside me. "Fuck that was good" he said as he looked into my smiling face. I nodded in agreement. He then kissed me on the nose. "But there's one last thing to do". He gestured down with his eyes to our seed covered chests. We both grinned and he licked his lips.

He got down and cleaned up every inch of my chest as I let out a few final moans and then I repaid the debt on his stomach. Once that was done we slipped into the bed, both tired from the activity.

"Hey Natsu I love doing this with you" Sting said from beside me. I nodded, assuming a curled shape beside his body, slipping my arm over his chest. "I know" I said faintly, fatigue pressing at me. Sting shuffled around pulling the bed covers from under us and then depositing them on top. "I don't need those, you know" I said, smiling at Sting as the White Dragon Slayer fussed about me and then settled to a comfortable position with his head resting right alongside my own. Our faces were so close together we could feel each other's breath on our skins, our eyes level and looking directly into each other. His eyes were such a perfect shade of blue, like the vast sky above, or the most pretty of gemstones. I loved those eyes and the Dragon they belonged to. He ran a hand through my hair, allowing his arm to rest over my shoulder and his hand behind my head, tracing little circles with his fingers into my skull. _That feels so good_ I thought as I closed my eyes in a blissful quiet. Sting broke it with a kiss planted on my cheek. "Natsu… I'm kinda… tired… but I just wanted to say, I love you". I let those words sink in, greatly enjoying being able to both feel them directed at me, as well as sending those very same words back without fear of rejection. "I love you too, Sting" I said. Even with my eyes closed I could tell he was smiling that perfect smile of his.

With the bliss I was feeling from Sting's fingers circling and the inner calm I felt down to my very core I fell asleep quicker and more peacefully than I had ever done in my life before now.

/

 **Sting POV**

We fell asleep after our little bit of 'fun' only to wake up again a few hours later. I looked at the clock on the bedside table. "One o'clock" I groaned, in another hour and a bit I'd have to get up to go on that job. "Oh and I forgot to tell Natsu" I whispered to myself.

"Forgot what?" Natsu voice said quietly from beside me.

"Oh, Natsu… you're awake…" I said, I had thought the Fire Dragon Slayer was still asleep from the sound of his breathing.

"Nah, couldn't sleep very well since I did sleep for quite a while last night" Natsu stated. My back was facing him so I rolled over to meet the smiling face of Natsu. "Uh, well I did mean to tell you before, but we were distracted and well…" I knew I was going to start rambling; I didn't know how Natsu would feel about this next bit. "Just tell me Sting" he said calmly, wrapping his arm around my waist and trailing little patterns along my lower back. Whenever Natsu did this I felt so much better, so much calmer, relaxed. "W-well… the job that I've gotta go on later, it's with Gray and we're kinda gonna have to make a long trip so I will be gone for the rest of today and probably most of tomorrow".

Natsu absorbed this information before he spoke. "So you'll be spending a day with Gray" he said, a note of jealousy in his voice. This surprised me, I thought Natsu would be clingier about me being gone for nearly two days, not jealous about the company I would be keeping. "Y-yeah Natsu, my next job analysis is Gray's so I will be spending _some_ time with him."

"Sting, I kinda don't like that" Natsu said, evidently struggling to put words to the feelings he felt. "It's gotta be him Natsu, but honestly I thought you'd be more concerned about the length of time I'd be gone".

"That's a bit annoying, but I can get over that, it's the reason your even at Fairy Tail at the moment, however something really bugs me about you spending alone time with Gray. He's such an asshole… and…" Natsu was still struggling to admit it.

"You're jealous Natsu, it's okay, but Gray isn't gay so it won't be a problem. I'm surprised you feel this way about him and not like that about Mirajane or Lisanna, I mean… they hang around us all the time. Lisanna obviously has some kind of feelings for you, although she tries to move passed them."

"Fine… you're right, I've got nothing to be jealous about with Gray" Natsu said.

"Good, it's okay for you to say you don't like me to be around people who are doing stuff you don't want them to do with me, my little dragon, but you've got nothing to worry about with Gray, alright?"

"Yeah, its fine" Natsu stated, eyes looking a little glazed in deep thought. I wondered what he was thinking so hard about, but decided to leave the issue for the moment.

/

We cuddled for a bit longer before heading out to the guild at around 2:10PM. We figured that we could go in, order a few drinks, then go off to a nice little restaurant and eat a quiet meal together before I leave. After our little discussion about Gray we left in a quieter mood, however this quickly changed as we neared the guildhall. Makarov was sitting by the bar looking a little too severe. He registered our entrance immediately and waved us both over. "Good afternoon Natsu, Sting" he greeted, "You two do seem to spend a lot of time together".

Natsu rubbed the back of his head. "We kind of became friends when we were on that job" he said, not totally lying to his Guildmaster, I just shrugged. "Natsu helps me get around Magnolia unhindered, he's a good little guide".

Makarov eyed us suspiciously before he dropped the expression, obviously he had something he wanted to say. "Well, that's good of Natsu. Now… there's something I need to tell you. I just received word from the Magic Council, seems that they've rounded up those wizards that Natsu defeated on his mission."

"That's good, but shouldn't that have been done days ago" I stated plainly. Makarov nodded in agreement. "It was done a few days ago, however this is to do with the list of wizards they made who were involved in the plot with the scepter. They say that the man you described as 'jester-like' was not among the captured wizards, so they've sent us and Sabertooth's Rogue word that he may still be at large, or may want revenge on these two guilds".

I absorbed this information, choosing my words carefully, however before I could speak Natsu interrupted. "So he's still around Gramps?" Natsu said, anger crystal clear in his voice. Makarov nodded, unspeaking. "And he might come here to attack the guild? Or us?" again Makarov nodded in response. The next statement made was nothing more than a growl. "I'll kill him before I'll let him lay one finger on Fairy Tail OR on Sting". I looked at the fierce expression on Natsu's face and my chest fluttered. Natsu was angry because this mage, whoever he was, threatened not just his guild but me personally.

"Natsu, calm down" I said, trying to pat the Fire Dragon Slayer on the shoulder. He positively shook with rage; however, he did seem to calm once my hand was on his shoulder. I think Makarov noted this too as a knowing smile formed on his lips. I looked at the tiny older Guildmaster, there was only one other thing I wanted to ask. "Does the Council, or anyone, know who that mage was? Or even what his powers are?". Makarov looked at me before speaking. "The Council sent a portfolio of information, it's in my office. They don't really know much about the wizard himself, however they do have a name and a list of some crimes he's committed in the past. Seems he's quite the accomplished dark mage".

I nodded grimly at the new knowledge, feeling Natsu shake even harder with rage under my grip. "Natsu, calm down" I repeated. He complied, but only just. "One last thing then, what's his name?".

"Phantasm." Makarov stated bluntly.

/

After that discussion I had to drag Natsu back to the inn room, neither of us felt like going out for something to eat now. Once I had him seated on the sofa I talked to him. "Natsu, what's so wrong?" I questioned standing in front of him, although I already knew the answer.

"I don't want you to go on another mission, not without me, especially not when that _Phantasm_ is at large". He spat the name out as if it was toxic.

"But Natsu, it's my job, and anyways, next time I see him he won't have that damned staff so I'll just beat him to a pulp, I am the White Dragon Slayer after all, _and_ the Guildmaster of Sabertooth". This didn't seem to appease Natsu's temper, I couldn't believe the Fire Dragon Slayer could be so overprotective. "I still don't want you to go" he said flatly.

"It can't be helped, and you can't do anything about it so just sit tight and I'll be back as soon as possible."

"I j-just can't let you go…" Natsu's voice broke this time. I sat down beside him putting an arm around his shoulders. "I c-can't let you get hurt… let you get in that state again." Natsu whimpered, close to breaking. He was willing tears back and I could only reassure him as much as I could. "Shhhh… Natsu it'll be alright, I can handle myself and it's only for a day…" I whispered, resting my head against his. He turned to look at me and I could see a few stray tears fall down his cheeks. I brushed them away with my thumbs. "Don't leave me Sting" he said sorrowfully.

"I've got to go Natsu, but you just wait. I'll be back and then I'm taking _you_ out on a date, how does that sound?". Natsu sniffled but smiled. I couldn't just leave _my little dragon_ in such a state as this, just before I was about to go on another job.

Although Natsu seemed happier some dark thoughts did fill my own head. _I just hope that everything I said was true, that I will be coming back. And I hope Natsu will be here to greet me when I do return._

We sat for a bit longer, not really talking, just watching the seconds tick by until it reached 3PM. Tick tock… Tick tock…

/

Once it was time me and Natsu shared one last kiss. He said he wanted to go home, just to be alone, so I walked to the guild hall by myself, met up with Gray, who was standing outside and left for the job without uttering a single word.

My thoughts were elsewhere now and I was just too caught up in them to engage with Gray, however he was apparently made aware of the situation as he informed me thusly when we got on the train.

He pulled me from my thoughts with a clicking of fingers by my face. "Hey Sting, snap out of it" he said.

"What is it Gray?" I said, grumpily, not really in the mood to talk.

"Gramps told me what happened on Natsu's job, said that we need to be careful because of some dark mage guy, am I right?" I nodded.

"Yes, he might come seeking revenge on either me, Natsu, or our guilds" I stated flatly. Gray just smirked, "If I see him whilst I'm on this job I'll turn him into ice cubes and serve him with a soda". He sounded incredibly confident all things considered. The mage in question was the one who put me, Sting Eucliffe, in a coma for two days.

Grays grinning face and overconfidence made me smile. "And don't worry about Natsu, he's just as fine too" Gray said, his smirk becoming a knowing smile. _Damn it, how many people suspect us now?_ I thought as the train lurched into motion, causing me to consequently heave as my Dragon Slayer weakness kicked in.

This was not going to be a pleasant ride.

 **End of Chapter 12**


	13. Chapter 13 - Three Instincts

**Chapter 13 – Three Instincts**

 **Natsu POV**

Sting left a few hours ago and I hadn't moved an inch. He gave me the key to the inn room and said that I could come here if I was worried about him. As he left he smiled at me and then closed the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. They weren't very pleasant.

The main theme of my own little train of thought always was centered around Sting and his safety, however I knew that the mage who had attacked us would also go after Fairy Tail and Sabertooth; that made my gut wrench. Normally I would never consider anything above the safety of my guildmates, however as soon as Sting's grinning face popped into my head I couldn't help but feel concern for him rise above worry for my guild.

 _He's my love…_

This thought had occurred to me more and more as the journey through my consciousness continued.

 _I love Sting, I can't let anything happen to him…_

This may be a selfish thought, however, it was as true as it was selfish. I wouldn't let anything happen to Sting which could cause him pain, not ever, not after all he went through when he was attacked last time.

With that resolve I finally decided to move after several hours of stationary thought. Being curled up against the sofa had caused my back to ache and my muscles itched to punch something, especially with all this pent up energy and _anger_ which roiled around in my body. _I won't let anything happen to Sting… but for now he'll have to take care of himself on that mission, and if he doesn't come back exactly as healthy as he left…_

 _Then the person who caused him to suffer, and anyone else who stands in my way, will BURN._

/

After leaving the inn room I proceeded to march off to the guild hall, figuring that if there was anywhere I could fight something it would be there. As I trudged into the guild hall several mages eyed me with a mixture of fear and concern. They had seen the fuss I had made before as Gramps told me the news and now they were too afraid to incur my anger. They were a smart bunch.

I flopped down at an empty booth, however no one came over to speak to me, let alone ask how I was feeling. I stewed, an air of increased tension rising around my person. When I had entered before the guild had gone unnaturally quiet, prepared to either fight or flee should I kick off, however as I sat quietly in the corner they began to resume their conversations, or begin new ones. Using my Dragon Slayer enhanced senses, I could pick up several of the conversations around me. 'I wonder why he was so angry…', 'Why do you think Sting dragged him off like that?' and 'Do you think those two really are…'. Hearing this made my stomach wrench once more. _I was too heated to realise what I was doing before_ I reprimanded myself, new anger rising inside me, _But I've made it even more obvious that me and Sting are together… Damn it._

This thought filled me with a new fear which dispelled much of the anger I felt previously. _I'm so stupid, why does Sting even like me?_ I thought, realising how the White Dragon Slayer must have felt at seeing me so angry and how my own actions made it once again obvious about what we've been doing.

I groaned quietly in my booth. _Now I'm gonna have to sort this mess out before Sting gets back…_ I thought.

"Sort what mess out, Salamander?" A voice said from behind me. Realising that I must have voiced that last thought out loud. I turned to explain myself to the mage. The owner of the voice in question was the black haired Iron Dragon Slayer, this made things easier. "Nothing, mind your own business anvil brains" I said in a mocking tone. If it had been anyone else I would've had to lie my way out of it, but as it was Gajeel I could just argue and fight him instead. "Shut it fire ball" he said, "I wuz only asking if you're okay 'cause everyone else is too afraid".

"Okay, you've asked and I didn't answer, you can go now iron breath, or do ya wanna fight?" I replied with a cocky grin. This grin was quickly replaced with a look of surprise as Gajeel raised his hand out flat as a sign of surrender. "I don't wanna fight you, I wanna speak with you. Could ya walk outside Salamander?" Gajeel said with a significantly quieter voice than usual. Stunned I found myself nodding before I could even register I was doing so. "A-alright then… Gajeel…"

 _Wonder what he wants to 'speak' about?_

/

Gajeel did not speak as we swiftly exited the guild. As soon as we were outside he grabbed the end of my scarf and dragged me off to the side, out of the sight of prying eyes. "Alright Salamander this should be enough…" he spoke gruffly, throwing me down onto the ground. As soon as he had let me go I got up and eyed him angrily. "You didn't need to pull me by the scarf" I growled.

"Shut it" he said, suddenly a lot less friendly than he was in the guild.

"Alright, I'm out here so what do you want to speak about" I stated leaning back against a wall.

"Can't speak yet, just gotta wait on one more person" Gajeel replied.

"Who?"

"Hiya Natsu" a softer voice said from behind me. Standing beside me was Wendy, head cocked a little to the side, a big smile plastered on her face. "Hey Wendy" I said, a little more cheerily than I had spoken to Gajeel, "I take it you're the other person we were waiting for" I said.

"Sure, now we've got something to ask you Natsu, and we want an answer" the little Dragon Slayer said, a touch of seriousness evident in her voice. I eyed her suspiciously, _what are they so adamant on getting answers from me about? Is it Sting?_

"What are you going to ask me then?" I said, impatience touching my voice, concealing well the intrigue which was also present. It was Gajeel who responded this time. "Salamander, we know what's going on with Sting" he said bluntly. I tried to deny it, however the shock I knew was showing on my face betrayed me, "What about Sting?" I stated equally as bluntly.

Gajeel grinned. "You two are together, you can't deny it". I moved to leave, to escape this confrontation, however Gajeel saw my subtle movements and blocked escape. Wendy one way and Gajeel another, I was completely boxed in. "We want to hear it from you Natsu" Wendy said, trying to be as pleasant as she could and avoid any kind of confrontation. I looked into those brown eyes, she was clearly determined and I couldn't lie to these two, they would be able to smell it. My shoulders sagged. "Alright, yes we're together" I said finally, defeated.

Wendy smiled. "Was that so hard Natsu?" she said, eyes relaxing. I supported myself against the wall of the guild which was to my back. Gajeel grinned even darker. "We already knew, we just wanted you to admit it to make things easier". I stared up at him, anger and intrigue bubbling in my chest, _how did they know?_

"How do you know?" I asked, voicing my interest. Gajeel went to speak, however Wendy intercepted him, obviously she wanted to explain this, and I was slightly grateful. Gajeel woulda just pissed me off. "Your scent" she said. Two simple words, however they set in motion momentum of realization spreading through my mind. _Of course, they could smell Sting on me and of course… they both knew then from the first time we did anything together… probably as soon as we came back from that job_ …

"Alright, so you could smell Sting's scent on mine, that's it right?" I questioned. Gajeel barked laughing. "Not quite Natsu" Wendy said politely, "We could tell as soon as Sting showed up at the guild that first day that you liked him. Gajeel scented it first, however I figured it out not too long after." I blushed learning this, they'd know all this time.

"Oh my God Salamander, you're really blushing" Gajeel barked out, laughing even harder. I swung at him however he just blocked it, arm of iron. "That's not very nice" he said plainly, but still smirking. "Anyways, we could tell you were in love with Sting, when one person likes another they give off a certain scent and yours went crazy as soon as you saw Sting" the Iron Dragon Slayer stated. I darted my gaze between them both. "So if you already knew then why did you need to drag me out here just to question me about it" I asked, confusion gathering in my head again. Wendy smirked this time, a smile darker than her usual one, "We were interested in how close you two were getting-",

"And every time you're both in the guild we can clearly smell you, it drives me nuts" Gajeel said, annoyed slightly at even mentioning it. I blushed once again, realising that we were more obvious than I'd care to admit. Wendy sighed, "We were just checking anyways Natsu, and ignoring Gajeel, I think it's cute. If you don't want people to know then we'll keep quiet, so…".

I looked up at Gajeel, suspicion in my eyes. "Don't worry Salamander, we'll keep it quiet. But can you two try to be a bit less obvious about it if you're in the guild, earlier was not what I'd call 'keeping it a secret', alright?" I nodded in response, glad that my two fellow Dragon Slayers were accepting of the situation, and willing to keep it a secret for nothing in return. "Thanks guys, so you're oaky with this?" I said, still wondering how they really felt. They both nodded. "Of course we're okay with this Natsu" Wendy said.

" 'When a Dragon, or a Dragon Slayer in this case, loves someone it is the most important thing to them' that's what Metalicana told me. I never knew what he meant until I met Levy, but now I do. I won't do anything to affect your relationship Natsu." Gajeel said, politer and more caring than I'd ever heard or seen him before. "Thanks Gajeel, Wendy." I said, a grin forming on my face. Wendy returned the grin and Gajeel smirked. _Another few people know about us now then… I wonder how Sting's gonna react to this…_ I thought. This idea immediately removed my smirk as I was once again reminded of the possible danger my love was in. Wendy seemed to notice my rapid change in attitude, "What's wrong Natsu?" she asked. I pouted.

"Well… Sting's off on that job with Gray and… we were just told something before which could threaten him… I don't want him to get hurt". Wendy's eyes softened and for some reason that irritated me even more. Every girl who knows about us, especially Mirajane, seems to go all mushy when I talk about my feelings towards Sting. "You don't have to worry Natsu" she said comfortingly, "Stings a powerful enough wizard, he's stronger than me, maybe even as strong as you, he can look after himself" I sighed, again I was told the same thing Sting himself had said before he left, however it didn't reassure me very much. I wanted to be there to protect him, not leave him to fend for himself. _Maybe this is because I'm a Dragon Slayer…_ I thought _, I've never been this overprotective of anyone before, however I've never been in love with anyone other than Sting before._

"Do you guys know anything else about Dragon Slayers and love" I blurted out. This caught them both unawares and Gajeel went from grinning to grimacing in the time it took me to blink. Wendy just gaped. "Umm… what do ya mean, pyro?" Gajeel said unsurely.

"Oh, that came out wrong…" I said, trying to recover, "I meant do ya remember anything about when you were taught about Dragon Slayers in love. I remember Igneel saying some stuff about wanting to stay with your love for life and things like that, it's just that at the minute I really wanna just go, hunt down Sting and stay with him, protect him, even though I know I shouldn't and well… and…" I was blathering.

Gajeel shook his head. "Geez… You're an idiot. I think that your misunderstanding what ya were taught. Metalicana, or Igneel in your case I guess, will have told you that you'll want to 'stay with them for the rest of your life' and so will always want to be with them, right Wendy?" the older Dragon Slayer sought confirmation from the younger. Wendy shook herself out of her surprise before answering. "That's right, when I was told about this stuff I was pretty young, however I remember Grandeeney telling me that because I'm a Dragon Slayer it'll be normal that I'll have a stronger natural instinct about my love. She told me that Dragon Slayers have three instincts which will be greatly enhanced, Sense, Attachment and well… um… another one" she neglected to say the last bit.

"Yeah, I remember Igneel saying that" I said, the fog of memory clearing. "Sense is the first instinct; your smell, sight and taste are the main ones improved, especially towards your partners, isn't that right?" Wendy nodded, "Then Attachment is the second instinct; you become attached to people whether as friends or family, however… oh…" I realised what Wendy was saying before.

Gajeel spoke up, grinning as he recounted the last bit of this teaching which we all shared. "Attachment to friends and family is strong, like in our guild, but true attachment occurs when you find the one person you love more than any other. They are your mate, and you remain connected for life".

I nodded in understanding. "Then there is the last one" I blushed, like Wendy I didn't want to say this one out loud.

 _The last instinct is Mating. Your mate and yourself become bound permanently in flesh, if the mating ritual is undergone, you will always be together._ Igneel's voice rang loud in my memory.

 _Me and Sting have had sex, however if we undergo that ritual it will be like were married without any hope for divorce, connect and bound for life._ The very thought sent my mind spiraling.

/

After a little more recounting of our seemingly identical teaching from our dragons we went back in the guild, well, except Gajeel, who said he had something to do for Levy. I just grinned and waved him off as he left the guild. I somehow felt closer to the Iron Dragon Slayer as I now realised that like me and Sting he felt the same about Levy. _Also, it's pretty funny to watch that big 'tough' Dragon Slayer almost fawn over the smaller script mage_.

Once we were back inside Wendy went over to Mirajane, asking if there were any new jobs that were available that she might like, whilst I went back to my booth. I had a lot more things to consider aside from Sting's safety right this moment. _Could Sting and I become mates?_ I questioned myself, _Or would he just reject the idea? He has the same back ground as me, so he would know what it meant at least…_ I was so lost in thought I didn't realise that yet another person was peering over my shoulder, trying to get my attention.

"HEY NATSUUUU" Lucy yelled, right at my shoulder now.

"What is it?" I asked, mildly annoyed at the new interruption to my thoughts.

"I've got a job I need your help with" the blond celestial wizard said.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not really in the mood right now Lucy, go find someone else". She pouted.

"Natsu, it has to be you that helps me on this one. Trust me, if there was someone else I would ask, especially since you seemed to be in a pretty bad mood earlier. What was that all about anyways?" she seemed more interested in my outburst than in the job flyer I could see she was holding.

"Nothing, it was nothing, what's the job?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

Lucy handed me the flyer. "It's a pretty straight forward one. We gotta 'procure' a special book from this guy's collection, sound familiar?" she jabbed the picture of the man on the flyer. He was tall and thin, with a jagged scar running from his cheek to his ear. "Oh, so it's like that job we did together, what was his name?" I said, perking up.

"Yeah, and Everlue was his name, Natsu. We gotta get this book from _this_ guy and give it to the client."

"Alright, so why do you need me".

"Read the flyer."

 _[ Book Wanted._

 _The Marvelous Skills of a Patissier with a Burning Passion._

 _The owner is one Gold Dee, a wizard of some repute. He stole the book from me and I want it back. Gold Dee uses a form of fire magic which incinerates all the other elements._

 _Please help me._

 _Reward: 70,000J ]_

"Got it?" Lucy said after a few moments. I nodded.

"So you need me to take care of this guy 'cause no other forms of magic will work against his fire?"

"Yep. I'll split the reward 50/50 since you will be doing most of the fighting, however we won't leave till tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Yeah, that's fine" I said, it's not like Sting was gonna be around anytime soon, and I need a distraction plus some time away from the guild would be good for me. I haven't gotten back to work since my last job with Sting.

"See you later then Natsu" Lucy said, running out into the evening air to go back to her place, getting ready for tomorrows job.

/

 **Sting POV**

After the train ride me and Gray went straight for the client. The job was straight forward, there was a pack of giant rat-like monsters living in the nearby woods and Gray had to either scare them off or 'deal' with them. Although the train ride itself had taken only a couple of hours, by the time we reached the apartment that we were staying in it was dark outside.

The apartment had already been paid for by the client, who was an elderly woman that ran the tavern nearby. She had heard stories about the monsters attacking some of her patrons and had said that if nothing was to be done then her business would go bust. I had smiled at her as Gray reassured her that she didn't need to worry. He was so pleasant to both her and me, which was quite the surprise for me since all we had done in our previous interactions was argue and fight.

Once we reached the apartment Gray unlocked the door and went to snoop around inside. The place was clean and tidy, simplistic in design, in short a standard hotel room. One sofa which faced the room, with a large windowed door leading to a small balcony. There was a separate bathroom and bedroom but aside from that the only other feature was the coffee table beside the sofa and a potted plant in corner of the smaller 'living room'. After a little look around I flopped down onto the sofa.

"Looks like it's too late for us to do this mission in one day" Gray said, looking out of the window. I sat into the sofa, head in the clouds. "What did you say?" I mumbled, still not really paying attention. "I said 'it looks like it's too late for us to this mission in one day'" Gray repeated, mildly annoyed. "Oh, sorry…" I said, not all that apologetically, "Was thinking 'bout something". Gray sighed.

"If you're gonna be like this the whole job how are you gonna review this like a proper guild master?" Gray commented, sitting down beside me. He was actually wearing a white shirt for once, as well as his usual trousers and boots. "Sorry" I repeated, again not very apologetically. This response elicited another sigh from Gray.

"You're obviously worried about something so can I just ask you something, it may be a bit blunt…" I turned to look at Gray.

"What is it?" I could guess what he was next gonna say.

"Are you and Natsu… you know, _together?_ " Gray seemed unsure of what he was asking. I blew air out through my teeth. _Natsu might not want him to know, considering their rivalry_ … I thought, considering what to answer with, _But Gray's obviously kinda sure of what's going on and me and Natsu were really quite obvious now that I think about it so…_

 _I'm gonna have to tell him_.

"R-right, I'll answer that so long as you don't tell Natsu that I told you, alright?" Gray nodded, from his expression I realised that he knows what the answer is. "Me and Natsu have been together for the last week or so, does that bother you?". Gray shook his head.

"Nah, I think that it's cool that you two are together, the flame brain's a hand full, but if you think you can handle him then why should I judge you" Gray seemed as level headed as always.

"You're sure you're okay with this?" I wanted to be sure.

"Yeah man, I kinda got a confession of my own. I'm fine with guys being with guys, I've even considered it myself…" I was more shocked then I expected myself to be hearing this.

"So you're gay too?" I needed confirmation.

"Not really _gay_ , I still like girls to, but being with a guy wouldn't bother me either so… yeah".

"R-right…" I didn't know what to say now.

"You won't tell anyone either then?" Gray inquired quickly.

"Obviously not, I know what you would feel like if I did" I answered.

"That's fine then, so is it Natsu you're thinking so hard about?" Gray seemed to want to know and I really needed to talk to someone. After this exchange of information, I felt much closer to the ice mage. "Yeah, I'm thinking about Natsu. I don't know what he's gonna do now, especially after hearing about that guy, Phantom, still being on the loose. I'm… worried that he'll get attacked, or worse… go looking for a fight and get even more injured, even killed…" I trailed off as the fear I had been experiencing intensified in my chest.

"Don't worry Sting, Natsu'll be fine. He's a Dragon Slayer too, and although I'm sure the pair of you are worried for each other, you both really shouldn't be. You both know how powerful each other is so you should be okay. Right?"

"Yeah…" I felt slightly more reassured by Gray's words. _But there is still that worry, that need to protect Natsu… I wonder if it's my instincts. Sense, Attachment, and Mating… I'm definitely attached to Natsu, but is he… damn it I need to speak to him about this._

Gray saw my expression and moved a little closer, embracing me. I pulled away instinctively, but was then immediately sorry for doing so. I know that Gray is only trying to help, but knowing now that he likes guys changed something in me, I could connect to him as a friend, but I only wanted to be embrace, be touched, by Natsu. "Sorry…" I mumbled.

" 's okay, I shouldn't have embraced you, but something in your face just pushed me to do so. Anyways, you need to smile Sting, and I've got an idea to help with that…" I looked at the raven haired mage with a slightly intrigued expression. "What idea?".

He grinned. "How about a bet? I bet that Natsu is fine and dandy when we get back after this job."

"That's not much of a bet," I said bluntly "what's the stakes?" This caused Gray to burst into an even bigger grin.

"You do what I say if I win, you tell me what to do if you win, and we have to do them regardless of what it is, deal?" He stuck out his hand and I shook it.

"Fine, it's a deal. If you win you can tell me what I've gotta do when we get back to Fairy Tail, and if I win ditto."

"Good" I noticed I was smiling now, matching Gray's grin equally; I had some pretty interesting ideas running through my mind of what to get Gray to do if I won. Although if I did win, that means Natsu would be injured when I return. This immediately sent a pang of guilt running through me, _looks like I better hope for Gray to win then…_

/

 **The Next Day**

 **Natsu POV**

I hung around the guild waiting for Lucy to show up, Happy floating nearby as he had decided to come along too. "Damned Lucy, saying she wants to meet up early and get the job over as quickly as possible. She's the one that's LATE" I was pretty annoyed. It was bad enough waking up in my own bed alone, no warm White Dragon Slayer beside me, but having to wait around in the wind for the blond wizard to show up was just damned infuriating. "Stop whining Natsu, you're just upset because you want to be back for Stiiiiiing" Happy giggled from beside me.

"Be quiet Happy" I sulked, "You're not supposed to say stuff like that out in the open".

"Sorry Natsu" the blue exceed giggled.

"Hmph…"

Eventually Lucy showed up. "Sorry… I'm late… guys" she panted after approaching us at top speed, "I just did some digging last night and went to bed a little late."

"Digging?" I questioned.

"Yeah, the book that we're after ' _The Marvelous Skills of a Patissier with a Burning Passion'_. It's a magic recipe book, has a load of stuff about using fire spells which it teaches to use in cooking, probably why that fire mage Gold Dee wants it." She grinned, obviously happy with her find. I just sighed. "So we good to go now?".

"Yeah" Lucy said, nodding and lifting a small backpack over her shoulder.

/

We headed to the train station and boarded the train, my gut wrenching as I waited for that near-deathly sensation to begin. "Why couldn't we just walk?" I whined.

"Because that takes three times longer Natsu, we won't be back 'till tomorrow if we did that" Lucy said exasperated. The knowledge that after this I would be back in time to meet Sting settled me a bit. _At least I'll be with Sting by this time tomorrow…_ I thought as the train lurched into motion and I began heaving heavily.

/

 **Sting POV (Morning of the same day)**

I woke up a little while before Gray. Using my Dragon Slayer's eyes, I could clearly see him in the other bed, the shape of his body, and his chest rising and falling. _He sleeps like Natsu, curled up with his head resting close to his knees._

I realised that I was watching Gray sleep and turned over. _Why would I think of Gray like that, it's Natsu that I want, not Gray_ I scolded myself. Although I had only been comparing Gray to Natsu I still felt guilty, as if I was betraying my pink haired lover. _I wonder how Natsu slept…_

Thinking about Natsu curled up in bed began to make me go hot, thoughts of our night together filling my mind. _Stop it, stop it, stop it_ I thought quickly as I noticed a tent rising in my pants, n _ot when Gray's here…_

These mental commands did not stop the rise so eventually I did the only thing left available to me in the situation; I began to think of anything and everything which could stop it. I visualized everything from Minerva to Lector, even Makarov, before it eventually disappeared. After that I decided to get up and dressed. I crept out of the room, leaving a little note on a scrap piece of paper I found telling Gray that I was downstairs in the little café next door having some breakfast, no sense waking the ice wizard yet. _Plus, I need some time with my thoughts…_

/

After about 40 minutes Gray appeared inside the café, once again dressed, although I was interested to see how long this would last. While I had been alone I compiled a list of things which would need to get done whilst I was still at Fairy Tail, including having a nice long talk with Natsu about us, although I placed this lower down on the list overall as I figured I should probably be focusing on more immediate matters like this and other jobs. "G'morning Sting" Gray said woozily, obviously still tired despite the time. "Good morning Gray, sorry about ditching you but I figured I'd let you sleep, let you get ready for your job".

" 's fine" Gray replied, "Probably need the extra sleep if were completing this then going straight back to Magnolia".

"Okay then, do you want coffee? Or food?" I asked, gesturing for a nearby waitress to come over. "Hello Sirs" she said politely, "What can I get for you?".

"Coffee" Gray said, "And a standard breakfast, with extra toast, thank you". She smiled and went off to fulfil the order. "Now then, Sting" Gray said, once she had left, "What are you gonna do 'bout Natsu?".

"Hmmm…" I asked, confused by his sudden question, "What do you mean? What about Natsu?" I responded.

"It just occurred to me that you've gotta leave Fairy Tail soon and I was wondering what you and Natsu are gonna do?"

"That's a bit… forward, but it doesn't matter, me and Natsu have got a bit of a plan" was all I said in response. Gray grinned. "Fine, fine, sorry… I won't ask anymore". _Why is he so interested in me and Natsu?_

/

The job went pretty routinely after we left the café. Gray used his tracking knowledge to locate the creatures to a large cave system. I used my light magic to illuminate the cave and we proceeded further in. Gray found three giant rat-like creatures asleep in a crevice and proceeded to lay a trap. His plan was pretty simple but efficient. He wanted to wait until the monstrous beasts left the cave and then he would use his ice to weaken the walls and collapse it after they've gone. He'd then lay in wait until they return and scare them off with a bit of showy Ice-Make spells.

It went off without a hitch and by about 6PM we were back on the train to Magnolia. _Time to see if I win that bet…_ I thought grimly as my stomach began doing jumps in time with the motions of the train.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We reached the client earlier than expected, however this didn't seem to bother them. The client was a short rotund man of no noticeable feature, however he did wear and apron, and was apparently a chef of some renown in this town. I rolled my eyes and sighed, responding only halfheartedly when he asked if I was a fire mage up to the task of beating that other guy, Gold Dee.

After Lucy did most of the talking we were headed off to the large estate of Gold Dee. The client had informed us that Mr Dee was a business man who, along with several others, were known to affiliate with Wizard guild of both legal and illegal repute. I just scoffed, saying that he made his wealth through illegal means and so was no better than a criminal, to which the client agreed.

The mansion of Gold Dee was large and quite extravagant. He obviously liked to show his wealth, which pissed me off more than I had expected. There was neatly trimmed bushes, statues of various materials and even a small pond, and that was just on the drive up to the actual building. The building was equally as impressive, with an almost castle like feel to it. It kinda reminded me of the guild hall.

"Wow…" Lucy said, impressed with the sight, "It kind of reminds me of our place" she said, "Just smaller". A smile played on my lips. It was impressive even just to remember that Lucy had come from wealth, although it didn't really bother me that much, it was a continuously amusing and awe-inspiring thought. Especially considering how big the Heartfillia estate had been.

"Let's just get this over with" I grumbled, trying to snap both myself and Lucy back to reality. Lucy nodded. "Right… now… the client said that the house should be empty of all but a few staff, although Gold Dee may show up at any point so we'll have to be careful."

"How about I just storm the place and beat him up until he tells us where the damned book is?" I suggested. It would be the quickest method after all. Lucy rolled her eyes at me.

"That won't work Natsu, the client said that Gold Dee would burn the book before he would hand it over so it looks like we're gonna have to sneak in". I just huffed blowing air out through my teeth. "Fine" I grumbled again.

/

After about a half an hour of searching Lucy found the personal library up in a bedroom somewhere in the house. I stood guard whilst she skimmed over the book titles, Happy was outside, keeping watch on the house to warn us if Gold Dee showed up outside. "Found it" she yelped, a little too noisily. I just continued scanning the corridor. Just as we were about to leave the doors and windows slammed shut, magic seals forming to prevent their reopening. "Looks like I have some pests" a voice said from seemingly nowhere, "Gimme back what you stole and I _might_ let you live".

"Who are you?" I demanded, fire engulfing my fists. The voice just laughed.

"You break into _my_ home and demand something from _me_ … your more stupid than you look _fire wizard._ I see by your guild mark you're from Fairy Tail"

"You're Gold Dee, right?" Lucy spoke up, instinctively clutching her keys and taking a step closer to me. "That's right, Heartfillia girlie" the voice responded, "Lucy Heartfillia, Celestial Wizard, give me that book and I'll let you and your friend run home to Magnolia".

"Never, we took this job and you STOLE this book. I'm never gonna let you have it" she said, adamant about this, "I hate it when good writer's works are ruined by men like you who hoard the books away from those they rightfully belong to".

"Good writers, pah" the voice scoffed "that book is utter crap. The fire spells in there are all too weak to do anything and the recipes themselves are bland and without style" The voice said, heat increasing in the room. Quickly a fire grew in a sphere at the center of the room. From out of the golden flames stepped a man. I instantly recognized him from the picture on the flyer. "So you're Gold Dee" I said, teeth gritted, ready for a fight.

"Right on the money" he said, bowing. "I'm Gold Dee, Golden Flame Wizard and collector of all things _stylish_." He emphasized this by flicking the collar of his shirt. I sooooo wanted to punch him in that smug face. He held up his hand and conjured a ball of pure gold fire. "Ah ah ah." He tutted "My fire is special, it converts anything it touches into more fire, burning away at everything, including the other elements, until all that's left is this beautiful golden flames. If you don't hand that book back to me, both of you and that damnable book will become nothing more than flames at my feet". Lucy took a step back pulling up a key.

"Not gonna happen" she said. Gold Dee shrugged, eyes turning cold.

"It's your funeral". With that he threw the fire ball and I moved in front of Lucy to intercept it. I opened my mouth and swallowed the flames before they could deal any damage. "That actually tasted pretty good, throw another" I commented, wiping my mouth. Gold Dee's face quickly passed from smug to angry and back again. "So you're the Salamander then?" he asked.

"Yep. Fire Dragon Slayer. I'm immune to your flames, pretty boy" I said, taking on a tone equally as smug as his, cocking my head to the side to further this insult. Once again Gold Dee's expression became angry. "Fine, you want more, then eat this; GOLDEN STREAM" he shouted, twin jets of golden flames exploding from his hands. I engulfed these flames too and soon he stopped, sweat forming on his brow. I turned to Lucy and whispered. "You go get that back to the client and I'll deal with this idiot." She smirked before waving and leaving, using Taurus to smash the sealed door to splinters.

"Hey, where are you going?" Gold Dee called out as Lucy left. I took a step towards him, grinning. "She's gonna deliver that book, whilst I deal with you. Your gonna regret even trying to threaten us with that puny fire magic of yours. You could try to chase her, but I'd catch you before you could take more than three steps". Gold Dee stopped smirking and just quivered in fear, obviously he didn't expect to be facing a Dragon, especially not one that's got a schedule to keep to. _I can't take too long with this, I've gotta get back to Magnolia._

/

 **Sting POV (Later that Day)**

When we got back to Magnolia it was near midnight, stars faint in the sky with a blanket of pure shadow as their backdrop. Me and Gray parted ways at the station, Gray heading towards the guild to inform their Master that he had completed it successfully. I had also managed, after a little debate, to persuade him to cover for me by saying that I had to go to change my clothes due to an 'unforeseen incident' whilst we were out on the job. Thanking him I left to go in search of the pink haired Dragon Slayer I loved so much. _Wonder where Natsu could be_? I thought as I wandered through Magnolia town. I decided I'd check his house first.

Heading off to the outskirts of Magnolia I came upon Natsu and Happy's house in a matter of minutes. I knocked on the door, however there was no sign of life in the house, although both Happy and Natsu scents were lingering around the place. _They must've been here recently_.

I decided to try again, however there was once more no response. I wandered up to the nearest window just to make absolutely sure. There was no light inside, nor was there any evidence that either the Dragon Slayer or the blue exceed were asleep within.

Panic began rising in my chest. I began to worry, scenarios pushing through my consciousness to seek my attention and intensify my worry further. _Damn it Natsu…_

Trying to wrangle with my fear I turned and headed back to Magnolia, hoping that Natsu was at the guild. "Gods, I hope that Natsu is okay…" I prayed silently, as I turned to leave the old house in the woods. Suddenly I felt a grip tight around my waist. It pulled me back into the underbrush and hid me by the shadows. I tried to face my attacker, however their face was hidden from my view by shadows and the angle of striking. All I could manage as far as talking was a muffled "Wha-" before I was forced away, into the forest. Alone.

Suddenly I was deposited a few meters away from the house, completely covered in the trees and undergrowth. I stood up and faced my assailant, however they were crouched in a bush and facing the house. All I could make out was their lean and muscular figure.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I demanded.

The assailant just looked at me. "Hello again Sting".

 **End of Chapter 13**


	14. Chapter 14 - Visitors

**Chapter 14 – Visitors**

 **Sting POV**

I faced my assailant. "Who are you and what do you want?" I demanded, eyes steeling and ready for combat. The assailant just looked at me from their crouched position in the nearby bush. All that could be made out of them was their lean and muscular figure. _Most likely a man, maybe a mage, judging from their confidence that's likely_. I assumed a fighting positon.

"Hello again Sting" the assailant said at last. I heard the voice but did not believe it was who it sounded like. "Who are you, that was the house of Natsu Dragneel" I pressed again.

"What? It's me Sting" the voice said, pleadingly. I crouched down, edging nearer to the bush. From this view my assailants face became clear to me. Pink strands covering that oh-so-adorable face, grinning with fire in their eyes. This was definitely Natsu.

"N-Natsu…" I said, questions pouring into my mind, "What the hell? Why did you grab me from behind, not that I don't mind that it's you or anything? I was expecting to find you asleep, or at least… I hoped you were… I worried so much and…" I blathered on. Natsu stood up and pulled me into a tight embrace. The immediate sensation of heat wrapped around my body quelled any worries or fears that I still harbored about Natsu's wellbeing. I rested my head on his shoulder, taking in his scent with a grin forming on my face. _Looks like I lost that bet then…_ I thought, sending a silent thank-you to Gray for helping me not to worry about Natsu's safety.

Eventually Natsu pulled away from the embrace and, like me, he was grinning. I opened my mouth to speak, however Natsu covered it with his hand. "Shhh… Sting… we gotta be quiet, or they'll know I'm hear" he whispered. A confused expression formed on my features, _who is Natsu hiding from?_ I pondered. Natsu didn't provide any other details, he just pushed me down so that we were both crouching in the concealing brush. I figured that I could ask the questions I had later and just focus on watching the house as Natsu seemed to be.

Sure enough after a few moments a hooded and cloaked figure stepped up to the door. They rapped their knuckles on the door, listened for a response and then repeated a second time. There was no reply of course, however this did not seem to deter them. A second cloaked figure wandered up from the nearby trees. The two exchanged glances before they propelled themselves up into the air and floated by the bedroom window on the second story. _Wind Magic?_ I questioned looking on. I stole a few sideways glances to see how Natsu was reacting to this, however he remained still and motionless. His unnaturally quiet demeanor and predatory stillness belied a sense of anger and self-protection. _He's ready to strike at a moment's notice, a bit like a snake in long grass_ I noted. I placed my hand on his shoulder and he turned to me, concern in his eyes now. He must have thought that something was wrong for me to pull his attention towards me, however I just intended to reassure him that I was here to help.

He beamed a smile at me and placed his own hand over mine. We interlocked our fingers and resumed watching the pair from a distance. Using their magic, they floated around the building before landing back at the door. Using our trained Dragon Slayer's hearing me and Natsu picked up shreds of their unearthly whispered conversation. Their voices were like whispers on the wind, ghostly and unnatural, however one was definitely male and the other female, most likely the first one to arrive being the female.

"He's not here…" Female said.

"Maybe the guild…" Male said.

"No… Master said here…" Female said.

"Wait until dawn…" Male said.

"Yessss… strike at dawn…" Female said.

Then with that they faded into the air, no sign of them anywhere. Natsu waited a moment before sniffing the air. Satisfied he got up, dragging me to my feet before setting off towards the house. He didn't speak until we were both inside.

/

"What the hell was that all about Natsu?" I questioned as I sat down on his sofa. Natsu sat beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and resting his head on my chest.

"I missed you…" he said solemnly.

"Yeah I missed you too Natsu. I kinda worried about you after hearing about that guy still being on the loose, however now I'm more concerned about _that_ " I poked my finger in the general direction of the door to emphasize this.

Natsu looked up at me, his eyes were full of concerns and I didn't want to press him, but I needed to know. "Tell me what's up Natsu…" I said, stroking my thumb along his cheek.

"Well… It's kinda a long story" he said, pursing his lips. I nodded for him to continue. "While you were away some stuff happened at the guild. Nothing major, I'll tell you later, but anyways I went on this job with Lucy. We had to get some book off of this guy and when I got back there was some person waiting around the guild hall, all shady like. I went up to them, however they just walked away." My eyes must have betrayed me since Natsu seemed to get more worried. _I mustn't let my worries show for now, not if Natsu is this worried about something_. I kissed Natsu on the cheek and he continued. "Anyways, when I got home I was only here for half an hour tops before one of those hooded guys came up to the house. I asked them who they were and what they wanted but they just asked for my name. I told them to piss off and they did. This didn't seem to help though… about an hour later another one showed up and asked me my name. I told them to piss off like the last guy, however they continued asking so eventually I told them. They looked at me funny and then walked away." He stopped and looked at me, making sure I was listening. I nodded and he continued, "So finally this third one showed up, asked me my name. I told them, tired of the interruptions, and then they insisted I come with them. I refused and they kept asking so I just slammed the door, however they stuck around for a bit. I watched them from the window and was considering running out and screaming at them but they went away later. That was why I decided to see if I could get the jump on one of them so I was hiding out there, however you came along instead." Natsu grinned at me. I sighed.

"So you didn't want me to ruin your plan so you dragged me off, right?".

"That's right" he nodded, "But you were so cute when you went all defensive; ' _Who are you, that was the house of Natsu Dragneel_ '" he parroted. I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I thought you were some attacker; I was ready to beat you senseless". Natsu pouted at this.

"Yeah right, like you could beat _me_ senseless" he boasted, "Do you remember our last match?".

"Shut it flame brains" I said, knocking him on the back of the head. He smiled before his face became serious again. "Seriously though" he began, "Those last two were different from before."

"Really, how?" I asked, intrigued by our stalkers.

"They had magic, powerful magic. I could smell it on them when they were flying about. The others were as weak and wimpy as they come, but not those two… they were dangerous".

"We still coulda taken them" I said with false confidence.

"Maybe…" Natsu said, growing quiet.

"Come on Natsu, don't worry, we're both safe and sound now, so does it really matter?" I said enthusiastically. Natsu looked at me for a brief moment before he smiled. "Yeah, you're right Sting". With that he pushed himself up and kissed me. We shared only a brief kiss before we broke apart. "What's the matter my little dragon, don't want to do anything tonight?" I said cockily. Natsu sighed. "It's not that I don't want to its just that I'm too… tired".

"You… too tired? Don't play games _my little dragon_ " I said, pulling Natsu in closer to me. He wrapped his other arm around my stomach and planted kisses along my neck. "Seriously… Sting… I'm too… tired" he said, in between kisses. I really wanted to do something with him tonight, however he was obviously shaken up so I didn't press the matter. I held his chin up to make our eyes meet. His green almost black to my deep blue. His eyes were still full of that fire and that confidence born out of thick headed stupidity, however there was something eating him up. I planted a single, tender kiss on his lips before I allowed him to rest his head on my shoulder. "Fine Natsu, we don't have to do anything tonight, but tomorrow I am sooooo gonna give it to ya" I said in a slightly lustful tone. Natsu smiled. "That's fine with me".

/

We went to bed sometime later. We had talked and dozed off on Natsu's couch, however I really wanted to sleep next to him, that beautiful warmth spread over my body as I was lulled to sleep by the Fire Dragon Slayer's presence. Natsu stripped down to his underwear and climbed into the bed whilst I slowly removed my clothes, folding them and placing them in a not-so-cluttered section of the bedroom. Although Lisanna had previously helped to tidy up the place, Natsu was quick to undo her hard work.

As I crawled into bed beside the pink haired mage a thought filled my mind. _I haven't told Natsu about Gray yet…_

I pondered telling him now, however I figured that Natsu would probably march right over to Gray's apartment and berate him. Thinking that the Ice Make Wizard would probably need his sleep for when I _do_ tell Natsu I decided to hold off on that one for now. I wrapped an arm protectively around Natsu, remembering how overprotective he was when I initially brought up the subject of Gray's job inspection. "Hey Natsu…" I whispered.

"What Sting?" The Fire Dragon Slayer said, slightly exhaustedly.

"Well… I love you."

"I love you too Sting, now G'night" he said drowzily.

I listened to Natsu's breathing until I was sure he was asleep. This wasn't very hard since I could clearly hear his snoring. I rested my nose in Natsu's pink locks and continued to take in his scent until I too was asleep, the last thought in my mind; _I've got sooo much to tell him tomorrow…_

/

 **The Next Morning**

I woke with a pressure on my stomach and a burning heat all over my body. I opened my eyes groggily at first, however they became clearer significantly more rapidly as I took in the sight before me. Natsu was grinning as he straddled me, body pressed against mine, and kisses trailing down my torso. He stopped momentarily to look up at me. "Good Morning Sting, did I wake you?" the Fired Dragon Slayer whispered, not for the first time. This was becoming a bit of a habit, but a pleasant one. I looked at that face, those adorable eyes, with a lust seated within them. "Nah, I'm good Natsu" I whispered back, tone equally as lustful as his. He resumed his kisses, hands exploring over my muscles as I let out a few strangled moans. With strategic movements Natsu caused delicious friction between our hardened members.

"N-nghn…Natsu…" I moaned out as the friction increased between us, both hungry for more. _Much more_.

Natsu stopped again, bringing his face level with my own. We kissed more passionately, him forcing entrance into my mouth, which I allowed. He explored my mouth with that muscle until he could breathe no longer, and we broke apart panting with need. He took in a few lungful's of air, trailing his hand down my front to the tent in my pants. "Sting…" he breathed huskily, "I wanna taste you". I stopped to process what Natsu was asking me.

"You wanna taste me? Suck me off you mean?" I said, asking for clarification.

"Y-yeah…" Natsu said, suddenly blushing. _How can he jump so quickly from lustful and needy to bashful and blushing?_

I kissed his cheek. "You're so cute Natsu. Firstly, you're asking to do stuff too me, then you blush… of course I want you to, though." Natsu looked hopefully into my eyes, however a question sprung to my mind. "Is this your first time?" I asked.

"Y-yes" he stuttered, blush deepening.

"Then you can _definitely_ do what you want, _my little dragon_. Just be careful all right, don't push yourself too much, only take as much as you want to." Natsu looked a little unsure, "I won't hold anything against you". This seemed to cause Natsu to blush the same colour as his hair, albeit a few shades darker.

"A-all right…" he said unsurely. I ran my hand through his hair and kissed him briefly. _He's too unsure… lacks confidence… I need to bring out the Natsu that everyone else knows. This blushing, unsure Natsu is only ever seen by me. I'm gonna have to 'fire him up'_.

"Natsu, you don't seem very sure of yourself" I voiced openly. Natsu looked into my eyes and pouted. "I'm sure…" he said, still wavering in his voice.

"Oh really, just… first you seem all desperate. Asking if you can do what you want to, and in return for my giving you free reign you go all nervous and unsure. What's the matter, ya scared of doing it, of sucking me off? Am I too big for ya?". Natsu looked at first shocked, however his eyes seemed to steel, their usual confidence returning.

"Nothing's too much for me, Sting" Natsu said, voice brimming with confidence, echoing the look in his eyes. He tried to further prove this by forcing a rough kiss against my lips. I opened and allowed him entrance. After a few moments he withdrew and proceeded to run kisses along my neck and jawline. He advanced lower and lower, hand palming my cock through my underwear as his other hand trailed over my muscles, scouting ahead of his mouth. Once his hand reached the hem of my boxers he stopped and looked up one last time, eyes searching for confirmation. I nodded, my eyes, I knew, were desperate and needy, breath uneven. He smiled darkly as he tugged my boxers off and threw them in a random direction. My member was already standing to full attention. Natsu looked at it with a brief glance of hesitancy before he experimentally ran his tongue slowly up the length. I moaned and this seemed to give him the last boost of confidence he needed. Placing his hand at the base he lowered himself down, mouth enveloping the head. "Fuck Natsu… your mouth is so fucking hot…" I breathed as his tongue began to flick across the slit. "F-fuck…" was all I could manage as I was sent spiraling into the realms of utmost pleasure.

Natsu continued to smile as his own free hand ran along his own body to strip off his own underwear. He threw these also into a random corner of them room and then refocused his attention to my cock. He never broke eye contact with me as he lowered his head further down my length. I could feel his tongue exploring, tasting. _It felt so fucking good_.

I could feel precum leaking from my cock, which Natsu's tongue lapped up. I found that I couldn't break eye contact with him either. I was firmly locked into those predatory eyes, that mischievous glint, as that perfect mouth swallowed up my member. "Fu-fuuck Natsu… so good…" I moaned. I fisted my hands in the sheets either side of my body. I really wanted to run my fingers through those beautiful pink locks, however this was Natsu's first time, and I didn't want to end up chocking him. _I've gotta take this one slow… I'll get to fuck his mouth another time… later…_

I noticed that Natsu had begun to get into a steady rhythm of bobbing his head up and down my member. In time with this he also seemed to be stroking himself off as well. The sight was so perfect. As his hand had enclosed around his own member he closed his eyes. That face, that mouth, bobbing up and down on me was just too perfect that I couldn't help it. I began fisting my hands in his hair, moans increasing in frequency. "N-Natsu… I'm not gonna… not g-gonna… last much longer". That was when Natsu began moaning, hand stroking more rapidly on his own cock, whilst he bobbed faster on my own. The moans reverberated around my member. "F-fuck Natsu… gonna come…" I warned. Natsu was obviously ready for this. He ran his tongue over the slit and head, pushing me over the edge. I came in his mouth, hands grasping tightly to his hair, holding him firmly in place.

He swallowed every drop of my seed until my orgasm subsided. Once I was finished he released my cock from his mouth. As soon as he had done this I dragged him up until our faces were once more level and I kissed him roughly. I forced my tongue into his mouth, moaning once I tasted myself inside his moist cavern. I ran one hand along his back whilst the other grasped at his member, stroking in time with his own hand. Soon a moan escaped his lips as he came over both of our stomachs. "Fu-fuck… Sting" he moaned out as his orgasm overwhelmed his body.

Once he was done he rolled over to lie beside me, panting but happy. "That good Natsu?" I questioned cockily, grinning. He began grinning too, "Fuck yeah" he said.

"Your mouth is so fucking hot" I stated, getting up to get a towel. Natsu put a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "You remember I'm the Fire Dragon Slayer, right? I eat fire" he stated, his grin becoming a dark smile, "And this Fire Dragon Slayer has one last thing he wants to do".

"What is it my little dragon?" I asked, although I could hazard a guess at what based on his facial expression. Sure enough his eyes gestured downwards. I chuckled as Natsu dragged me back down for another kiss.

/

 **Natsu POV**

After cleaning each other using only our tongues we lay cuddled up next to each other. I lay with my head resting on Sting's chest, lulled to a sense of almost dream-like calmness by the sound of his heartbeat and the feel of the rise and fall in his breathing. Sting lay with his arm wrapped around my shoulders protectively. He had his face resting against the back of my head, I could feel the air he breathed out tickle the back of my head and neck. Our legs lay tangled up together. "You know Sting… I've had something on my mind for a while" I said dozily. Sting breathed in deep before asking. "What about Natsu?".

"W-well… we've both been raised by dragons. Do you remember being taught anything about relationships?".

Sting seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Well, yeah… but it's all a little foggy, I was so young after all. Why… what have you been thinking about?"

"It's just a little thought, but it grew as we we're out on our jobs. I thought about Igneel… what he'd say about, you know… _us_. Then I wondered if the dragons would get along".

Sting chuckled. "You have some of the strangest thoughts. But I see your point, however Weisslogia and Igneel both loved each of us… I'm sure they'd have accepted this… errr… _us_ ".

I relaxed. This was only part of the overall worry that had wormed its way into my brain, however it made me feel better hearing Sting say it. _I did think about this, and I also thought the same thing. However,_ I silently admit to myself, _the other reason that I'm worried is more to do with us as Dragon Slayers… not just our dragons. I wonder if he remembers about the three instincts, since all the Dragon Slayers seem to have the same kinda teaching?_

Suddenly there was a knock at the front door. I scented the air to try to pick out who the visitor was, however all I could smell was Sting, me, and the remainder of what we had just done. Sting seemed to be having the same difficulty. "I can't smell them" I admitted to the blond. He smiled, "Guess we'll have to see who it is the old fashioned way, so come on and get dressed". He got up and threw me my clothes over whilst getting ready himself.

Once we were both dressed I went down stairs. Sting couldn't be seen in my house at this early in the morning, especially if it was one of my guild mates at the door. I opened the door and stopped in my tracks. Sting, who was listening concealed at the top of the stairs was down by my side in an instant. Before me stood two cloaked figures, their faces completely obscured. I recognized them instantly as the ones from before. "Are you Natsu Dragneel?" One of the pair asked. They were slender and slightly shorter, definitely a woman. The other was only a little taller, but much broader shouldered; the man. When she spoke her voice had an eerie quality to it, as if it was forced more from her mind than from her throat. "Are you Natsu Dragneel?" she questioned again. I sighed, not this again. "Yes I am, now piss off I'm busy" I said, going to slam the door. The broader male held up his hand to stop me. "Come with us" he demanded. I growled.

"I already told the last ones that I wasn't going anywhere, so I'm telling you _once_ that I'm not going anywhere with you either". Sting assumed a defensive position beside me.

"He's not going with you" he supported.

The male just cocked his head. "Did I ask?" he said. His hand then flew up and flung me from the door way to the open space outside. Instantly, once I landed on my feet, flames surrounded my fists. "You're gonna regret fucking with me this morning" I said, feet carrying me towards the big man. He just dodges to the side, with his female companion joining him at his left. Sting joined me at my right and a face off commenced. "Be careful Natsu" Sting whispered, "They're mages remember".

"Yeah, and powerful ones too" I shuddered. The scent they gave off yesterday told me all I needed to know about how unnaturally strong they were, "We gotta be careful". Sting nodded in agreement. The woman then decided to speak up. "We're told to get you for the Master alive, but we can harm you if you resist".

"That sounds like a threat, or a challenge, but whatever… I'm still not going with you" I growled in response. The pair cocked their heads ominously, laughing a high pitched laugh. That was the final straw. Letting my anger rise I flew at them with flaming fists, aiming punches at the larger male, who deftly dodged left and right. I eyed up Sting as he faced off against the woman.

"I normally don't like fighting ladies, however I will if you force me too" he said cockily. She just shook her head and flew up into the air. "You're a fool, are you Sting Eucliffe?".

"Yes" was all he said, body crouching slightly, ready to leap up and strike her down.

"Our Master said that the fool with Natsu Dragneel would be Sting Eucliffe". Anger enveloped Sting's handsome features as he leapt up to strike at her, however she just flew to the side. He landed and immediately set about circling her from the ground, finding a new angle to strike at.

I was having equally as bad luck trying to fight this guy. _He may be big, but he's fast._ I smile cockily, charging energy to my fists. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist" I roared as I charged. I covered the distance quicker than he could move, however again my blow did not land. This time, however, he did not dodge.

I passed straight through him.

As I tumbled and regained my footing, I saw Sting's look of surprise. He was just as shocked to see me pass straight through this guy as I was. The pair regrouped, standing between us and the house. Sting rejoined me. "You passed right through him" he said bluntly. I nodded.

"They've got some weird magic. They can fly and can't be touched, yet they had no problem knocking on my door…" Sting nodded in agreement.

"I've got an idea" he said, whispering his short plan to me. I grinned as we face our opponents head on. They had taken positions a few inches off of the ground, however for our next attack this did not matter. We each opened our mouths, shouting out.

"Fire Dragon Roar"

"White Dragon Roar"

Our roars charged at our opponents, a mixing tornado of blazing fire and white light. We cheered as these made contact with the pair, sending them spiraling down to crash into two nearby trees, however they just got up and brushed themselves off. They were laughing manically now, with their unnaturally high pitched voices breaking the air and paining my ears. Sting looked on in horror, whilst I was just plain pissed. "Natsu… we gotta retreat" he said fearfully, "We can't beat em if we don't know their weakness, and they just took a full blow from both of our dragon attacks". I looked at him with surprise.

"You wanna retreat?" I said confused, "Sting, we never give up, we gotta keep fighting. If we hit em hard enough or fast enough then they gotta go down, right?"

Sting looked far more fearful now than when he fought those dragons in Crocus. "I don't wanna see you get hurt Natsu, and these guys are too strong. We should tell Fairy Tail. You said there was more of these guys who bugged you, well… what if they attack the guild, we might be out numbered or out matched". I placed my hand on Sting's shoulder.

"I'm not going to retreat Sting, and you know that". Sting sighed.

"Well you're not going against them alone then" he said. I smiled. _It's nice to have Sting here to support me, even if he's too protective of me to fight properly_ I thought, although a little voice inside me said 'you're just as protective' and another whispering idea 'protect your love'.

/

We charged again in unison. Sting flew right, aiming at striking the female from the side, and I attacked from the left, attempting to strike the male from the other side in a kind of pincer movement. This didn't work, however; we both just passed through them and ended up tumbling about trying not to hit each other. "This isn't working Natsu, how do we fight if we can't hit them" Sting said pessimistically. I groaned.

"Keep hitting, we should eventually be able to pummel them. I'd bet they can't keep that up forever".

The women laughed loudly. "You are both fools, and the Master grows bored, it's time to end this". At this signal they both flew down and attacked me and Sting at the same time. I dodge back, avoiding the males slightly slower blow, however Sting was not as quick. The female was slighter than her companion, however she was more agile. She landed a blow on Sting's arm.

The blow was not particularly powerful, however Sting landed doubled over in pain. "STING" I roared, rushing over. The women and man laughed in unison, those voices once again paining my ears. "What's wrong?" I questioned. Sting was in too much pain to speak. The women did so for him though. "He's been struck, it's over. Our magic was given to us by our Master… it will sap out a portion of his life force. One more strike and he will DIEEEEE".

I forgot all about fighting in that instant. I picked Sting up in my arms and began hurrying up to Magnolia. _I gotta save Sting… he can't suffer again because of me…_

I looked back to see our attackers, however they had disappeared again, just like they had done last night.

/

I reached the guild hall faster than I had ever done before. Sting was conscious, but only just. I spared him the embarrassment of me carrying him into the building by planting him down on his feet. "Thanks Natsu" he muttered. The pain had seemed to have subsided somewhat, however he was still shaky on his feet so I led him into the guildhall. As we walked/hobbled inside a few wizards turned in our direction, faces full of curiosity, however I just ignored them. I walked on, Sting following close behind, as we made our way over to the infirmary. As we neared the door I heard a slightly distant voice shout our names. "Natsu, Sting, how are ya this morning?". It was Gray. I just growled. "Piss off snowman, I gotta get Sting to the infirmary" I said, voice holding back the anger I had stored up from the fight. Gray didn't bother with any snide comments, he just looked at Sting, who smiled with a grimace. "Yeah, he doesn't look too good Natsu, I'll go get Mira". I nodded and continued off towards the infirmary, hearing his footsteps rush off to go find the Take Over wizard.

Once we got inside the infirmary I sat Sting down on a white sheet covered, hospital-like bed. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" I fussed around him, making sure he was as comfortable as possible. He just smiled. "You don't need to fuss over me Natsu, I can handle this". I shook my head vigorously.

"From what I saw in that fight you couldn't" I said, tone scolding but concerned.

"I'm fine Natsu" Sting insisted.

"Sting seriously _you couldn't fucking stand_ " I countered, voice growing harsher. He didn't bother replying again, he just lay down onto the pillows below him. "I said those guys smelled dangerous".

Sting chuckled lightly, before a cough interrupted it. " _You_ were the one who insisted on not retreating. I worried about _you_ getting injured too… ironic, isn't it?". This was said so jovially, yet it just succeeded in making me feel _incredibly_ guilty.

"I'm… sorry Sting, you always get hurt when I'm around… I can't protect you…" I began whimpering. Sting's hand grasped my wrist and pulled me down to sit on the edge of the bed. "Natsu… listen to me," I looked him right in the eyes, willing back a few stray tears, "I got hurt, so what, were both still alive. It's not your fault. That damned staff was not your fault, you did all you could to save me… _this_ is not your fault… they attacked me as well as you… so just don't worry about me so much and keep yourself safe, for me. In return I'll keep myself safe for you". Sting's eyes were confident, despite his situation. I leant down and kissed him lightly on the lips. "O-okay…" I whispered in agreement.

"Good" Sting stated. I pulled back and stood up as I heard a few wizards pass by the door, eyes alert. "Gods Natsu, your still scared about us getting caught that much" Sting laughed lightly. I stared down at his place on the bed, however I couldn't bring myself to be angry with him when he was so injured. _He knows why I'm afraid about people knowing, yet he still jokes around like that_ I thought, _That reminds me… I gotta ask him… whilst we're alone…_

I resumed my perched position on the side of his bed. "Um Sting…" I began, carefully selecting my next few words. "Yes Natsu" he replied, "I know you've wanted to ask me something. You obviously had more on your mind this morning than just what our dragons thought". I groaned hearing this, Sting had known all along that something else was bugging me and was just waiting for me to spill it. "Yeah…" I admit, "It's about our dragons, w-well… I had a thought whilst you were out with Gray and it sorta got me thinking."

"Go on Natsu, what's bothering you".

"How much do you remember about what you were taught about Dragon Slayer… um… skills".

"You mean my magic?" Sting seemed puzzled. _I don't know how to say this…_

"Not your magic. Do you remember being told about… w-well…"

"Spit it out Natsu, don't keep a man on his hospital bed waiting" Sting stated bluntly.

"W-well… w-well... do you remember about being told about Dragon Slayer instincts?" I stuttered out finally. Realisation filled Sting's features quickly. "Instincts…" he muttered, eyes clouding in thought. I just waited, sat in silence. I had nothing more to say, and I needed to hear Sting's response. "Yeah, Natsu I remember… Sense, Attachment and um… Mating" Sting recounted. I nodded.

"Looks like I wasn't the only one who thought about this then, huh". My face quickly became full of surprise, which made Sting grin stupidly. "Y-you… thought of this too?" I asked, shocked.

"Yeah. I thought about it too Natsu, although I don't know why this has been worrying you."

I stared at him for a few moments, embarrassed by the simple fact that Sting had thought of this by himself whilst I had to have it almost spelled out for me by Wendy and Gajeel. A smile played with the corners of my mouth. "Well… it bothered me because… I love you Sting but I wasn't sure if… you know…". Sting smiled even harder, eyes full of amusement, but also love.

"You wanted to know if I'm as ' _attached'_ to you as you are to me, right?" I nodded, which caused him to chuckle. "Was this why you didn't wanna fuck last night?" Again I nodded in response, and again he chuckled, louder this time. "Awwwww… your so _cute_ , Natsu" Sting laughed. I pouted.

"Hey, don't _laugh_ Sting, or I might take it the wrong way."

"Fine, my little dragon. But if you want to know my reply, it's this" Sting said. I looked worriedly at him as he leaned up close to me.

Then his lips crushed against mine.

 **End of Chapter 14**


	15. Chapter 15 - See Ya Later

Chapter 15 – See Ya Later

 **Sting POV**

Natsu's face was just too worried when he looked at me that I _had_ to do something. "Fine, my little dragon. But if you want to know my reply, it's this" I said, whispering whilst edging closer to Natsu's face with my own. I crushed my lips against his, my hand going to the back of his head to deepen the kiss further. Natsu went stiff with surprise, obviously expecting me to whisper my response to him as oppose to kiss him, however they both would have had the same effect anyways. Natsu immediately began to relax as his arms slipped around my shoulders.

My tongue was granted access to Natsu's mouth and explored that cavern I was growing to know so well. Our tongues collided, rubbing over one another until the necessity of our bodies forced us apart. Panting my breaths hurt a little, however I didn't allow for this to show on my face. Natsu was calmer now than I'd seen him in the last day or so and I didn't want to ruin it by making him worry all over again. "Thank you, Sting" Natsu breathed, face only a fingers width away from my own.

"For what Natsu?" I asked.

"For loving me, and for putting up with all my worries and fears. I always seem to cause you trouble" Natsu said, smiling.

"Natsu…" I was taken aback by the Fire Dragon Slayers open attitude. I pressed our lips together again, more as a sign of my acceptance than of lust. Natsu tried to move in with his tongue, however a sound broke us apart. A cough to the side.

Me and Natsu looked with shock as Gray and Mirajane stood in the doorway. "Well well… flame brains" Gray smirked. I relaxed with an amused expression as Natsu's jaw dropped.

"Wha-? Gray… It wasn't anything…" Natsu tried to defend. I smirked a dark smile as Natsu looked to me for support. "Sting?" he said with confusion, noting my expression. I couldn't help but chuckle. "Sting?" Natsu repeated, growing more fearful.

"Sorry Natsu…" I said my eyes doing their best to look adorable, hoping to soften the next blow.

"What for…?" Natsu said suspiciously.

"W-well… I kinda… told…" I stuttered, I was suddenly afraid of how Natsu might react to this.

" _You told Gray?!_ " Natsu barked, surprised and angered at the same time.

"Yeah he did lover boy" Gray stated bluntly. Natsu whirled at him, eyes aflame with anger.

"So ya gonna make fun of us now Gray? Gonna tell everyone?" he growled. Natsu's anger towards Gray surprised even me. I had expected a little bit of fall out, knowing how their rivalry was, however this was something different. _He's afraid Gray would do anything which might compromise our relationship… Natsu doesn't want to lose me_ , I would have been touched had I not known about Gray already. Gray just kept his cool demeanor. "Woah Natsu, calm down for a minute. I'm not gonna tell anyone, anyways Sting knows stuff about me so I _wouldn't_ tell anyone ya didn't want me to, okay?" Natsu relaxed a bit, but still had a brief flare of anger in his eyes. I just pulled him down from where he had stood up to sit next to me. Natsu looked at me, however there was something different in his gaze to the one he showed at Gray. It was kind of like the one a puppy gives when it wants food, or water. _He had something else he wants to tell me_.

"Spit it out Natsu" I said bluntly. Natsu smirked this time.

"As long as we're admitting things, there are a few people I should tell you about." He said, smile growing as my brows furrowed.

"You told people about us too?" I questioned.

"Yes and No" he said vaguely. I was gonna whack him if he didn't spit out their names, since he so obviously wanted to, however I refrained.

"Who knows Natsu?" I pressed, like a child he seemed to be enjoying keeping me in the dark.

"Guess". I saw Gray and Mirajane smirking from their corner. _What a pair we must look like to them_ I thought as Natsu pressed me like a child to guess his secret.

"Is it Erza?" I asked. _It must be, she woulda pummeled him for info like that_.

"No".

 _Not Erza? Well then it could only be…_ "Lucy" I said. Natsu guffawed.

"Nope, not even close…" he giggled.

"Fine, who is it, you idiot" I said, exasperated. I know that sometimes I could be childish, however I _NEVER_ get like this. Gray chuckled and I shot him a look that could cut through solid steel, which apparently had no effect.

"It's the only two people who coulda figured it out" Natsu hinted. Realisation rang its clear bell.

"You don't mean the _OTHER TWO DRAGON SLAYERS_ " I barked out, a laughing forming in my throat. The idea of little Wendy and that damned idiot Gajeel knowing about our relationship was just too funny. Natsu just giggled, nodding his head vigorously. Both Mirajane and Gray looked more shocked than even me. "They smelled it right?" I asked Natsu, who seemed to be too out-of-breath to speak, so again he just nodded.

"What's up with you two?" Gray inquired, amusement fading as we fell about laughing.

I decided to speak for us. "Well, Natsu's just immature and amused by that little game he was playing, and I was amused at the simple fact that we wanted _no one_ to know about us, yet half of Fairy Tail seems to". Gray resumed his cool composure as Mira walked over to us, proceeding to do what she was called in here for and treat me.

"You two are such idiots" she said, moving Natsu so she could get a clearer look at my injuries.

"Hey Sting…" Gray said, as he took a seat on a nearby bed.

"What Gray?" I asked. Natsu was standing beside me, holding my hand.

"Don't forget our _arrangement_ , alright" he smirked.

"Arrangement? What arrangement, Sting?" Natsu asked, suddenly suspicious.

"We kinda made a bet, Natsu" I said plainly.

"On…" Natsu pressed for answers.

"If you were okay when we got back" Gray answered. Natsu's eyes went from suspicious to puppy-like in the time it took me to blink. Gray took the opportunity to add a bit more mocking in whilst he had the chance. "Lover boy…" he got Natsu's attention, "Your boyfriend there was so distracted because he was worried about you that I had to do something to shut him up, so I bet him that you were okay when we got back, and he lost". Natsu's head immediately snapped in my direction.

"You bet against me?" He said with a pout.

"W-well… I was scared for you… and well…" I hung my head, "Yeah".

"You're supposed to support me Sting" Natsu said. I squeezed his hand tightly.

"I'm sorry Natsu…" I said apologetically. Natsu just smiled and looked at Gray.

"So what's this idiot gotta do then, ice cube?" he asked, ignoring my protest at being referred to as an idiot. Especially as this was Natsu who was calling me such.

"We agreed we'd tell each other to do something, and they _have_ to do it, simple" Gray stated.

I laughed unsurely as Natsu narrowed his gaze onto the Ice Make Wizard, he was ready for a fight if he didn't like Gray's response. "Natsu…" I interjected, before he started something too noisy, "we can discuss this later, alright". I used the grip on his hand to pull him closer to me and he relaxed a little. Gray moved to the door to leave, however he stopped and back-stepped as the door swung wide open and Makarov burst in. "Where's the patient?" he stated. Erza flanked beside the Master, armor shining brightly.

"Oh, hello Master…" Mira said as she finished wrapping a bandage around my arm where the women had struck me. "Sting's fine, just a minor magical attack. It seems to have sapped a bit of magic from him, but he'll live." Makarov eyed me with suspicion. Natsu had let go of my hand and practically jumped over the bed when the doors had flung open. "We're not treating you very well, eh Master Eucliffe" the tiny old man chuckled, "I apologize for your inconvenience, and I accept full responsibility as this was in Magnolia".

I waved my arm. "It's fine. Fairy Tail is always amusing at least, although I'm gonna have a hard time explaining all this to Rogue when I get back" I chuckled alongside him.

"I thank you for your good graces Master Eucliffe, however if I may point out, this inspection is running quite far behind, I've still got to go to Sabertooth yet".

I smiled. "Yeah, it was only supposed to take a week tops, yet it's been well over that".

"True, but many of the problems have been beyond our control."

"Agreed, I don't hold Fairy Tail responsible for any of this". Makarov seemed to relax a little. _Still he is worried about me giving a bad report to the council._

Natsu took the chance to voice his own opinion. "Hey Gramps," he called out from the other side of the bed, "I don't think Sting should go on another job, he's been too injured". Makarov smirked at Natsu.

"But Natsu, Sting has a job to do, he has to finish the inspection." The old man replied casually.

Natsu's eyes narrowed on him. "But I don't want Sting to get injured again" he said a lot more fiercely than before. "We just got attacked in Magnolia, where it's supposed to be safe. What if they attack him again whilst he's on another guy's job?".

Makarov's tone turned more scolding and Erza's eyes narrowed to a harsh point on the pink haired Dragon Slayer. "Natsu, Sting is a capable wizard, and he is our guest. We will ensure his protection from now on, you don't need to worry. He's only got three more jobs to go on, one with Levy, another with Gajeel, and one with Wendy."

"But…" Natsu started.

"Enough Natsu" Makarov said finally, putting an end to any objections he could voice.

"But I need to be there to protect him." Natsu dared.

"Enough!" Erza barked this time. Makarov for his part just smiled.

"Why do _you_ need to be there for Master Sting, Natsu?" the Guildmaster asked.

Natsu's face became panicked, eyes looking for an answer but coming up empty. In his desperation he looked down to me, from where I was sitting up in front of him. I just smiled, _we're caught now_ I admit to myself. Natsu continues in panicked silence under the glare of Erza and the wry smile of Makarov, as well as Gray who was in the corner by the door. Mirajane moved to stand behind the master, face beaming a pleasant smile, probably to reassure Natsu in the face of such a fierce sight as Erza's gaze.

I decided that it was time to admit it, after all these would just be a few more people to add to that growing list. I stood up, took Natsu's hand, which sent him looking at me with surprise and a little fear.

Then I kissed him on the cheek.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I looked with panic towards Sting, begging him with my eyes to try to save me from this encounter. I could see him smile as he rose from the infirmary bed to stand beside me. I relaxed momentarily, lulled into security by that smiling face. His blue eyes reassured me that he would help me. Then he took my hand and a new fear of what he was going to say edged its way into my chest. My heart fluttered as, in what felt like an eternity, Sting leaned in and planted a kiss on my cheek.

My cheeks immediately responded by going a hue of pink akin only to my hair. I saw the faces of Makarov and Erza, the only two oblivious in the room. Gray just grinned in amusement as Gramps went wide eyed, more out of surprise than shock it seemed, and Erza, the Queen of the Fairies, sweat dropped. I could hear Mira giggle from her position beside the master. I was too stunned for a facial response, however Sting ran his hand through my hair, and pulled me in close, slipping an arm around my waist whilst facing the assemblage before us.

"Yes, we're together" he said, strong and adamant in the face of these people, a lot more confident than me. I looked to him, eyes pleading for a reason, but not going to be given one. _This had to be done sooner or later… but I'd rather have waited a bit longer_ … I thought. Erza was the first to break the stillness which had blanketed the room. She walked straight up to me, face now stoic. She wrapped her arms around me in a bone crushing embrace, which I guessed she thought would be comforting. "I'm glad you found someone Natsu" she whispered, before abruptly turning around and leaving. Sting grinned at me, amused by the expression of surprise I was now wearing because of Erza's actions. Don't get me wrong, I was happy she accepted this so readily, however it didn't bode well that she left so suddenly.

Gray just turned to leave after Erza, however he was stopped once again by the doors flinging wide, this time with a certain blonde barging in. "Natsu?" Lucy chimed as she entered unannounced. She stopped dead as she saw me and Sting. "What? Sting?" she said surprised as she noted Sting's arm around my waist, and the grinning faces of Sting, Gray and Mirajane. "What is going on here?" she asked, obviously trying to make sense of the situation despite the obvious answer.

"We're together" Sting grinned, even more amused by Lucy's wide eyed expression.

"You two?" she insisted on making sure.

"Yeah" I finally had the confidence to speak. Lucy looked at me and then to Sting, then to Gramps, and Mira and finally to Gray. Gray and Mira flanked Lucy immediately and looked at her with as an amused expression as Sting. They made sure the door was closed, and this time blocked it off. Makarov then decided to speak.

"So you two are together, eh" he started off, "I'm happy that you've found someone you can love Natsu, however we're going to have to be careful with this information, what with Sting being a Guildmaster and all". I looked at the seriousness in our own Guild master's eyes. Sting nodded and looked at the assemblage behind the master.

"We need you to keep this quiet" he said. Gray and Mirajane nodded.

"We will" they said together. Makarov raised an eyebrow.

"You knew about this already?" he questioned.

"Yeah, Sting told me yesterday" Gray admitted.

"I tricked Natsu into admitting it with Lisanna, however I guessed at it the moment Sting arrived" Mira said with a wry smile. Makarov seemed stricken.

"So you agreed already then?". They both nodded. Allowing Lucy to finally find her voice.

"You told them but not me Natsu?" she whined. I rubbed the back of my head.

"Well… kinda…" I responded unsure how to answer the blonde whilst not pissing her off "Mira tricked me and Sting kinda told Gray so I can't really see this as my fault" I stated. Lucy pouted.

"I bet Erza already knows too".

"Well… yeah, she just found out about two minutes before you." This seemed to pacify the blonde.

"And you don't want anybody to know?" she asked.

"Yeah, so can you keep it quiet, please?" I begged. Lucy smirked.

"Of course I will Natsu, you two are all cute when you go mushy and protective, like you are now". I nodded an agreement without realising, causing Sting to bark out a strained laughter. Makarov watched this before speaking again.

"Do you know the rules about this sort of thing Sting? Dating between guilds can cause a lot of fall out if the Magic Council uses this in the wrong way". I looked at Sting, who's blue eyes were defensive and adamant.

"I do Makarov, it'll be fine. Me and Natsu aren't planning on breaking up anytime soon". Makarov smiled and nodded.

"So who else knows?" the tiny mage asked.

/

 **A little While Later**

After a bit of explanation as to who knows and why me and Sting finally got to be alone. Mira had determined Sting's injuries to be minor so he could finish the last few jobs quite soon. Makarov said that he'd put Levy and Gajeel in one job so that Sting only had to monitor Wendy's job separately, which Sting was quite thankful for. After this discussion in the infirmary everyone left, although Lucy had to be forced out by Gray and Mira. _Damn she just won't shut up…_ I thought as I watched the door close behind the blonde. Since this big reveal she had thrown a lot of questions at me whilst Sting and Gramps talked. Mira and Gray had been watching with amusement the whole time.

Once we were alone Sting lay back into one of the infirmary beds. "So, a few more people know…" he said, as I lay down and cuddled up to him. Sting wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. "Yeah, this whole _keeping it a secret_ thing really isn't working" I agreed. Sting smirked. "What's so funny?"

"Well, I was just thinking that we're gonna have to go through all this again if you come over to Sabertooth during Makarov's visit". I groaned at this. _Dealing with this once is bad enough._

"Why don't we just be _really_ discrete then?" I suggested. Sting shook his head.

"In Fairy Tail both your own teammates, and your exceed buddy know. It would only be fair if I told Lector, Rogue and Frosch. And maybe Yukino." He added.

"That's only a few more people" I said, more to quell the thoughts spinning around in my head rather than to accept Sting's.

"Yeah, only a few more" Sting agreed.

After that we both went quiet. I ended up thinking about how we could… no, would… tell the Sabertooth wizards, and still make sure they accept this. _We gotta be extra careful since we're both from different guilds_ I reminded myself. I looked up at Sting and he had his usual smile showing. _That face always sets my mind at ease. That perfect smile, those blue eyes…_ I found myself brushing stray strands of blond hair away from Sting's face. Then I kissed him. He kissed me back, slow and deliberate, just enjoying the fact that we could do this in here, in Fairy Tail.

Sadly, this was not to last as a knock at the door stop us in place. I sniffed the air then relaxed, causing Sting to relax too. He swung his legs over the side of the bed whilst I just lay there. "Come in" I said, resting my hands behind my head. After a few seconds a clanking sound was followed by the entrance of Erza into the infirmary room. "Sorry for interrupting you" she said curtly. Sting nodded at her.

"It's fine, Natsu and me weren't doing anything" he lied. I turned my head in his direction as Erza closed the door behind her.

"I feel I must apologize for earlier" the red head said abruptly. Sting cocked his head to the side in confusion.

"What for?" I said, echoing his thoughts.

Erza stood motionless. "I left so suddenly. I'm sorry." She apologized. Sting's head remained cocked to the side, however once again I interjected before he could speak. "We don't mind; we did surprise you with this" I said. I swung my legs over and sat shoulder to shoulder with Sting. "Why did you leave though?" I questioned. _She seemed to accept this so…_

She smiled. "I was happy. I've always seen you as a little brother Natsu, and when you admitted you were together I just found myself overwhelmed with joy."

Now it was my turn to cock my head in confusion, however Sting did the talking this time. "So you left because you were happy for us?" he asked. Erza nodded.

"I've always noted that Natsu shows absolutely no interest in anyone romantically or otherwise. I began getting worried and eventually asked Gajeel if this was normal for a Dragon Slayer… and well… he told me that Dragon Slayers, and Dragons I suppose, only have one Mate for life."

Both me and Sting went from confused to embarrassed in seconds flat. "SO YOU THOUGHT THAT WE'RE MATES" I blurted out.

Erza seemed startled by my reaction, and Sting slipped an arm around my shoulders. "Erza," he began, "Your right about the whole 'mates' thing, however Dragon Slayers have to go through a… um… well…" he stopped, unable to say it.

"A Mating Ritual" I finished, blushing.

"A ritual?" Erza, asked, "Gajeel did mention something about special requirements, but nothing else".

"The ritual differs from dragon type to dragon type" Sting informed, "and we've not done it so we're not mates yet, alright Erza?". I noted his words, _yet_ …

Again Erza nodded. "Then I must apologize again, once for leaving suddenly, and now again for jumping to conclusion. I am most deeply sorry… And I promise I will keep this a secret, about the rituals and about your relationship, I know how the Magic Council will be if this gets out too soon." Sting and I nodded in agreement.

"Thank you Erza" I said. She smiled and turned to leave, but no before giving us a final smile.

"I wouldn't stay in here too long, alright? Rumors will spread" I took her words in as she left the infirmary and closed the door once more.

"Well that was weird" Sting said.

"No that was Erza" I responded, grinning. Sting ran his hand through my hair once more.

"Don't be so cocky Natsu, or so clever, it doesn't suit you" he said, grinning as much as me.

"Hmph…" I pouted, "I can be what I wanna be Sting."

"Of course you can Natsu, I wouldn't love anything else." Sting said, causing another blush to rise in my cheeks. "But anyway… have you really thought about the Mating Ritual, Natsu?" Sting asked, causing my mind to snap to attention.

"Well… um… yeah" I admitted, "But I don't think I'm ready for it, yet… okay?". Sting nuzzled his face into my shoulder.

"Of course it's okay Natsu, we'll do it if we're ready, not before. And I suppose we've only been on one date so far so… I think doing that so soon would be jumping to conclusions. Just take it one step at a time, first this guild, then Sabertooth, then maybe a few more dates… none of this has to be decided right now."

I felt my heart flutter at Sting's words. _He's right, just one step at a time…_

/

 **Sting POV**

Aware of Erza's caution me and Natsu decided to only spend about half an hour in the infirmary. If anyone asked we'd just say that we were working through why those guys attacked us, as well as a cover story for why we were both there in the first place.

We left the infirmary in quite high spirits. Once we entered the main hall of the guild we found a nice secluded spot in one of the side-most booths and sat down. I was already aware of Mira's gaze on us as we picked out our seat and sat down, _she obviously has something she wants to pry about_ I thought.

Sure enough after a none-suspicious time of 2 minutes she wandered over to us, inquiring if we needed anything. We both requested a coffee and she bustled off again to fulfill the request. "Man, she can be nosey" I said as we watched her go.

"Maybe, but I think your just overly suspicious." Natsu voiced. I looked at him and he shot me a smile.

"Humph…" I breathed.

"Awww… I'm sorry Sting" Natsu purred, "I was just kidding".

"Fine" I said, pouting still.

"Well, have we got time to do anything?" Natsu said, obviously trying to get me not to sulk.

"I don't know; Makarov didn't say that I've got a job to check yet so… maybe".

Natsu smirked darkly at this. "Good" he whispered, edging closer, "I've got some ideas of things we could do since we we're interrupted this morning". I shot him and equally dark grin.

"Well… someone's horny" I stated bluntly. Our conversation was cut short as Mirajane returned carrying our coffees. And a flyer.

"The Master has asked for you Sting" the smiling waitress said. I huffed.

"Looks like we won't be doing something today Natsu" I said, as Natsu pouted and whimpered. "Don't be like that Natsu, I'll hang out with you later."

"Fine" Natsu agreed. I rose from the table taking my coffee with me as I headed over to Makarov's office.

I caught one last glimpse of Natsu sitting with Mirajane. _So she corners him whilst I'm not there_ I registered as I walked up the stairs. Once I approached the office I was stopped by a literal wall of iron. Well… Gajeel at least. "So I'm on a job with you?" I inquired.

"Yeah, and me" a voice sounded behind Gajeel. Levy McGarden was standing there, hands behind her back.

"Hey Levy" I said pleasantly. Gajeel grunted.

"We don't have time to chat blondie, we gotta go get ready for this job" he said, dragging Levy off by her arm.

"Bye Sting" she said, grinning. _I wonder if he… told her?_ I thought as I watched the pair leave. It was then that I noticed Makarov by his office door.

"Coming in Master Eucliffe?" he said with smile. I nodded and smiled back.

/

After a brief discussion and overview of the job I left Makarov's office is quite a good mood. He'd picked two quite easy jobs for the remaining assessments and I estimated that I'd only need to be away for half the day on each, meaning that me and Natsu had the time to do whatever we wanted for the rest. Makarov really didn't seem bother by our relationship, as he did inquire beforehand if we had anything planned, so that he could fit the jobs around that, however I stated that the jobs had to come first so we'd just plan around them. Makarov had noted this and complemented me on my 'good work ethic', which I'm sure Rogue would argue adamantly against.

When I returned to the main hall Natsu was gone, much to my surprise. I went over and asked Mirajane, however she stated that Natsu left with Gray a little while ago. I immediately became curious and went out in search of them. I first went to Natsu's house; however, no-one was home. I then went over to my inn room. When I arrived there I realised that Natsu still had the inn room key so I'd have to find him if I wanted to be ready for the job with Gajeel and Levy. _Damn it Natsu…_ I silently cursed as I returned to the guild hall.

My brief exploration had only taken about ten minutes. When I returned I was greeted by Mira again. "Did you find him?" she inquired. I shook my head.

"I tried his house and my inn room, but they aren't there" I stated. She just cocked her head.

"I'd wait around here; they're bound to show up sooner or later."

I smiled and nodded. I sat down at a booth and ordered another coffee from Mirajane. I was left alone for a while; however, this was not to last. "You're here Sting?" A voice behind me caught my attention. As the source of the voice sat opposite me I noted it was Lucy.

"Yeah, Natsu went somewhere and I can't find him so I'm just waiting here". Lucy giggled.

"You two are soooooo adorable" she said.

"Shut up" I pouted, causing her to laugh.

"Is that an order Mr Guildmaster?" she asked. I smirked, it was nice to have someone to talk to who treated me normally. The only other ones to do that was Rogue, Yukino and Mirajane seemingly. "No it's not an order" I admitted, smiling.

"Anyways, if your looking for Natsu then he's probably off causing mischief, it'd be best not to get involved."

"I suppose".

"Although, if you want something to do you could help me with something…" the blonde asked

"What is it?" I questioned, intrigued.

"Well… I've been meaning to ask Natsu, but I can't find the right words since he's my friend and it seems awkward, but with you… I don't know…" she went quiet, for once.

"What do you want to ask?"

"It's about Dragon Slayer Magic" she pushed, I nodded for her to continue, a myriad of possible questions running through my mind. "Well… If Dragon Slayers have all these advanced senses and reactions, kinda like an animal… well then, is there anything… _else_ that's different?"

I was quiet, considering her question carefully. _Does she want to know about things like the Instincts or… something specific?_ I thought to myself. "To answer there are a lot of parts to Dragon Slayer Magic which revolve around the person specifically. No one user has the same abilities as another, for example no other Dragon Slayer has quite as keen a nose as Natsu, but then again none of the ones I know of are as simple." This caused Lucy to smirk.

"Yeah he's quite the idiot. But anyways that only kinda half answers what I want to know…"

"You want to know about Dragon Slayer relationships right?" I said exasperated. This was the most obvious line of questions. Lucy nodded, eyes glittering. "For each Dragon Slayer there are three things which are most enhanced when it comes to the person they love. These are the Three Instincts. I could tell you what they are but… they're kind of private. But I will say this, the three instincts will tell a Dragon Slayer that they love someone instantly. There is none of the usual hubbub of 'getting to know them'. You either love them or you don't. And the one they ultimately love is their mate. Now does that satisfy you?"

Lucy nodded, "Thanks Sting" she said politely. "I'm sorry if that was a bit too private…"

"Nah, it's fine. I gotta say that it was a little weird but, I don't know… I feel like I can tell you".

"Aww… That's really sweet Sting" Lucy said, giving me a friendly hug, before moving to get up. "I hope you find Natsu soon" she said as she left.

"Bye Lucy…" I said back.

/

 **A Little While Later**

Natsu finally showed up after about an hour or so. "Hey, where have you been?" I demanded as he sat down next to me.

"Nowhere" he said casually. _He's obviously up to something_.

"Then what have you been doing?"

"Nothing" he said with a smile. _Okay he's DEFINATLY up to something_ …

"Just tell me Natsu" I pleaded.

"No. You'll see later one" as all he said in response. I decided to drop the subject, I wasn't going to get anything out of him.

"Fine, but I do need something off of you".

"What?" he said confused.

"You've still got my inn keys you idiot" I stated bluntly.

"Ohhh… right…" he fumbled in his pockets and produced the keys.

"I need them coz I've got a job with Levy and Gajeel in about two hours so I need to get ready". I took the keys and motioned to stand up. "Are you coming with me?".

Natsu shook his head. "I've got something I need to do but I'll see you later, alright Sting?".

"That's _really_ suspicious Natsu, but I've really gotta go get ready so yeah, I'll see you later too."

Natsu patted me on the shoulder and then walked me outside. Once we were out there he pulled me discreetly to the side of the guild building. "What's this for Natsu?" I asked with a smirk.

"Just one more thing…" he said, before wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss, begging for entrance with my tongue. Natsu allowed this, but only briefly.

"You gotta go, remember?" he said with a sly grin.

"But now your making me wanna stay" I pleaded whiningly.

Natsu just unwrapped himself from around me. "You'll see me later, just come to the guild after the job, alright". I nodded.

"Alright Natsu." _I guess he doesn't wanna stay at his place after this morning_ I thought as I walked away from the guild and towards my inn room.

 **End of Chapter 15**


	16. Chapter 16 - Kitty Cats

Chapter 16 – Kitty Cats

 **Sting POV**

After bidding Natsu goodbye I headed to my inn room, got ready and set off to the agreed meeting place just outside of Magnolia. The meeting place itself was some unused platform consisting of two wooden benches. It was old and seemed to have been designed as a train stop, although there were no train tracks actually present. As I walked up the stone steps leading to the top of the platform I was greeted by a grunt. Sitting on one of the benches was Gajeel. "You're a coupla minutes early" he said bluntly.

"Good afternoon to you too" I replied sarcastically, "Where's Levy?" I asked, noting the obvious absence of the letter mage.

"She had something to do before we left, she should be here in a few minutes so jus' wait for her" Gajeel said, directing his attention to the grassland and road beyond.

"Alright then…" I said, unsure of whether to sit or stand. Luckily I was saved from any prolonged discomfort by a noise hollering up the road.

"Sorry I'm late guys…" Levy said, running up to the platform steps. "I just _had_ to finish reading this book for our job" she explained as she climbed the steps.

"You made us wait jus' for some stupid book" Gajeel growled, albeit softly. I smirked slightly at his softer reaction.

"It's alright Gajeel, I'm not late yet right?" she directed this last bit at me so I checked the time.

"No, it's still a minute or so before our agreed time" I stated, aware of Gajeel's steel gaze on me. "Shall we go then?" I inquired. Gajeel broke out into a smirk.

"Why're you in such a rush Sting?" he said with a dark chuckle. Levy's face broke out into a grin as she walked past me to stand by where Gajeel was still sitting.

"Don't mess around with him Gajeel" Levy said in a scolding tone, although she was still grinning.

"Oh, alright then…" I said with a sigh, "Gajeel, you told Levy, didn't you?" this was more a statement than a question, but I still wanted to be sure.

"Yeah he did Sting, I know about you and _Natsuuu_ " Levy said, shooting me a more pleasant smile, "And don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone," I relaxed from the slightly uptight stance I didn't realise I had entered, " _and neither is this idiot_."

"Who ya calling an idiot Levy" Gajeel barked. I smirked, it was amusing to see the smaller mage scolding the big and 'fierce' Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Just as long as you don't tell anyone I don't mind _you two_ knowing" I said plainly, before descending the stairs of the platform. "Now let's go" I said from the bottom.

"Who put you in charge?" Gajeel barked, but still complying as he moved up from the seat.

"That's ' _who put you in charge Master'"_ I corrected with a HUGE grin. Gajeel grunted in anger.

"Humph…" he breathed as Levy giggled.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I watched Sting go on up the street until I couldn't see him anymore. He was right when he said I was 'suspicious' for not following him, as normally I would have quite happily followed him around like a lost puppy. I did think about following him as I watched him leave, however the idea which made me grin like an idiot kept me in place. _Sting'll be sooooo surprised_ I thought whilst giggling slightly. As soon as Sting was gone a voice sounded behind me. "Hey there Natsu, Sting left yet?". I spun around to see Gray approaching me from the guildhall.

"Yeah, you know he's just left Gray" I stated plainly, he knew that I wanted to follow him. "So waddaya want?". I couldn't help but grin, knowing what he was going to say.

"Now that you've said your goodbyes to your…" he looked left and right before whispering, "… _boyfriend…_ do ya want to continue our little plan?". I nodded and followed him back inside the guild. Since Gray now knew about me and Sting I saw him in quite a different light. He himself seemed more relaxed and calmer around me and we didn't fight as often, much to Lucy and Erza's relief it would seem.

Once we were inside and seated at a booth discretely aware that no one would bother us, we continued talking. "So, what are you gonna do?" Gray asked me in a quiet tone.

"About the date, you mean?" I confirmed. Gray nodded.

"Of course about your little date, flame brain. But you remember our deal right?". Now it was my turn to nod.

"Yeah, I remember. I go on a date with Sting, but first you get to have your fun with your stupid bet." I grinned at the prospect. Me and Gray had been running around town coming up with a list of possibilities for what he was going to make Sting do whilst I had been planning another little night trip around Magnolia for afterwards. "Which _activity_ did you want Sting to do?" I asked the black haired ice mage.

"I don't know… we thought up some pretty great ones… although there was that one about Sting's room…" Gray smirked.

"No, not that one" I said sternly. "You can have your fun, but that is my own… _personal fun_ , not for you".

"Awww… you're not as amusing when you don't let me have my own fun Natsu" Gray said whiningly.

"Nothing sexual Gray" I stated, again sternly. "Anyways why would you want to, you're not gay are you?"

Gray looked down into his lap. "Well… actually, I've been meaning to ask. Did Sting say anything about when we were on that job?"

"About you?" I ask, confused, "No".

"Well, I'm kinda… _you know_. I mean… I like girls as well… buuuuut…" he trailed off. I smirked at him before settling into a soft smile.

"So that's why you said ' _I'm not gonna tell anyone, anyways Sting knows stuff about me_ ' when we were in the infirmary before" I said with a comforting tone.

"Yeah, knowing this would you… consider…" Gray smirked again.

"Nothing sexual Gray. Especially knowing that" I repeated voice going blunt once more.

"Fine. Fine." Gray said raising his arms in mock defeat. "But I really can't decide about what to do, though…"

"Well… what about that whole 'make him dance around the guild like an idiot' thing… or that one about him having to run around Magnolia with a huge Fairy Tail symbol…" I offered, filtering through the list of ideas which me and Gray had come up with over the course of that last hour, as well as trying to process this new information about Gray.

"None of them seem… I don't know… good enough maybe…"

"We're talking about insulting a Guildmaster, so yeah… I suppose it _does_ have to be pretty funny" I agreed, smile playing with the corners of my mouth. Although I love Sting, I still wanted to make him pay for betting against me with Gray. The funnier that payment was, of course, the better, so it had to be not just amusing, but totally _perfectly_ humiliating. This meant me and Gray would have to really think about this. After a while, however, we were quite rudely disturbed by something we had never expected to see.

Happy flew over and into the guild, tapping me on the shoulder. "Hey, Natsuuuu…" the little blue exceed whined, "I got something I bet you'd like…".

"What is it Happy?" I said, intrigued by my friend's grin.

"Well… do you remember the whole 'CAT FIRE' thing a while back… in the tower of heaven…" I groaned and covered my face in embarrassment.

"Don't remind me Happy" I said bleakly. I could hear Gray chuckling beside me; since hearing this he had always insisted on reminding me each and every time we passed a pet store or a cluster of stray cats in the street. When he had first heard about this from Happy he had stated he would pay to have seen that and now he often would joke around saying stuff like _'Hey Natsu, why don't you go join 'em, you seemed to like being a cat' or 'Hey Natsu, I bet you'd love to be a widdle pussy cat'_.

"Well, anyways…" Happy said, to avoid me getting too distracted, and change the topic, "I found… THIS". He pulled out an oversized blue cat head and put it on. "Sooooo… how do I look?" he giggled childishly.

"Like an exceed with a really big head" I stated flatly, unamused by his antics at my expense. "Where did you get that anyways?" I questioned, considering burning the lot of them, wherever they may be.

"I got it in the market. Anyways, how do I look now?" he said, changing pose.

"Still like an exceed with a big head, Happy." I said, rolling my eyes, "And still not funny" I added flatly.

"Aww… but how about now…" he said pulling a final pose. "CAT FIRE" he mocked, punching his hand up in the air.

"Still not funny Happy" I stated again. The idea burning that fake cat head just to shut him up crossing my mind.

"I don't know Natsu…" Gray said from beside me, holding back a laugh, "It reminds me of you". I pouted at him. Suddenly his face lit up with a massive grin. "I've just had an idea" he said with glee.

"What is it?" I groaned out. _This had better be good_ …

/

 **Sting POV**

 **A little while later, on their job**

Me, Gajeel and Levy had arrived at the quite large house of the client. Apparently they were a collector of rare potions and had requested the aid of Fairy Tail in translating an ancient text to make a special potion, although he did not, admittedly, know what the potion did. After about half an hour of grueling study on Levy's part she was able to figure out a few ingredients and sent me and Gajeel out to see if we can find them. After a further ten minutes of exploration we found that most of the ingredients were pretty common and could be found in most places nearby. Once we had collected the first six ingredients we returned to the house only for Levy to send us back out to collect some kind of special 'Golden' flower in the estates gardens.

"So where's this flower then?" Gajeel barked from beside me. Searching for things was NOT his forte and I had to do most of the finding.

"I don't know" I snapped, "Just look in those bushes over there whilst I search around this area".

"Alright…" he grumbled. He had complained about my 'leadership' for a little while but gave up eventually. Although I wasn't supposed to be assisting in the mission itself, we had agreed that I would say in my report that they did all of the work whilst I observed although in reality I helped just to speed things up so I could get back to Magnolia. The report wouldn't _lie_ of course; it just wouldn't be totally _accurate_.

After about five minutes of searching Gajeel spoke up again. I prepared for an another argument, however he surprised me. "So… have ya got something planned with the pink haired idiot which ya gotta get back for, or do ya just want to get back to Magnolia as soon as possible to _make some plans_." He grinned a dark grin at this last part, eyes full of implications.

I shook my head. "Nah, we haven't got anything planned… _yet_ " I joined in his 'implications'. "Although Natsu was acting suspicious when I left, sooooo… maybe".

Gajeel grunted in approval. "Good on ya, but I gotta ask ya something, as a fellow Dragon Slayer… plus Levy wants to know. Do you two think about each other being… mates?".

I blushed, but did consider his question carefully. Obviously by now I had considered this myself a few times, especially since Natsu had already brought it up. "Well…" I started, sitting down on a patch of grass and looking up at Gajeel, who had taken to sitting in the shade of the bushes I told him to search before. "Me and Natsu… I like him… maybe even love him, and I know he likes me back, that's definite. He's the first person I've ever felt this serious with sooo… yeah, I do think if I was gonna have a mate, it would be him."

Gajeel just looked at me. He smirked. "Yah sure?"

"Yeah… well… I would like to be his mate, but we're in different guilds and I don't know if we'll be able to and…" I could think of anything else to say.

Gajeel sighed. "I'm not good with relationship advice, and hell I can't really speak for you since my… erm… love is in Fairy Tail and well… you know… female… but I can say this; if you really are mates then there should be no _maybe_ about it." I looked in shock as I heard Gajeel say this.

Suddenly, memories of my earlier conversation with Lucy came back. A very particular quote of mine came to mind when I had explained to her about Dragon Slayer relationships. The words resounded in my mind; _'But I will say this, the three instincts will tell a Dragon Slayer that they love someone instantly. There is none of the usual hubbub of 'getting to know them'. You either love them or you don't. And the one they ultimately love is their mate.'_

"You're right Gajeel" I admitted after a while, "I want to be mated to Natsu, but I'll need to speak to him about this. Even if we're in different guilds that can't stop us."

Gajeel smiled rather than smirked. "Leave it to that idiot Salamander to pick someone from a different guild" he said, although he nodded with approval.

I just smiled back at him. "Guess that makes me an idiot too then".

Gajeel laugh and punched me lightly in the arm. "Don't worry about it, you don't have to feel too bad, after all, even a complete fool can look like a genius around Salamander." I grinned and laughed alongside him.

"Yeah, like you can talk, bolt brains. You act all tough around people but your soooooo cue when your all soft around Levy" I jested.

Gajeel scowled a little before chuckling a little lower than before. "Fair enough, one free shot since you're a Guildmaster. But next time I will take offense, can't have you go ruining my reputation with comments like that".

I nodded in understanding. "Fair enough, that's my one and only free shot." I chuckled as I noticed something I had missed earlier. Poking out from beside Gajeel was the flower we needed. "Hey Gajeel, there's the flower" I pointed out. Gajeel smirked in surprise before plucking it and motioning to return to the house. I followed him, with my mind now calmer after that rather surprising revelation I had just had.

 _I want to be mated with Natsu… if he'll have me._

/

 **Natsu POV A little while later, at the Market**

"Where's that stall then Happy?" Gray asked, trying to follow my exceed partner, who was flying above us. Happy kept going on ahead whilst we were getting caught in all the crowds. Since Happy had mocked me in the guildhall earlier my mood had become a lot worse than when Sting had left. "It's this way, I think…" Happy said as he flew overhead. I just maintained a steady distance behind Gray as we pushed through more crowds. Eventually, though, I reached my breaking point.

"Just admit you don't know where it is Happy" I barked at him.

"No, I do know where it is…" he said, looking around confusedly. I blew air out through my teeth, he could be so stubborn at times.

"Gray, you go look with Happy, I'll search over there" I pointed in a different direction to where the blue cat was flying.

"Fine Natsu, but once you've found it you'll have to wait for us, okay?" Gray stated, moving off to get closer to Happy. I nodded and began travelling in the direction I had pointed in. Normally I wouldn't mind pushing through crowds in the markets however with my snappier mood I just wanted to be somewhere quiet where I could wait for Sting. Admittedly it was me who had insisted on going to the markets now instead of later when it was quieter. Eventually, however, I ended up out of the market place without realising it. _Huh… I must have not noticed that I had left…_ I thought as I looked to see where I was, _oh well, I'll let Gray get 'em, I've got some plans of my own to make anyway_ I thought with a sly grin at the prospect of ditching Gray in the market.

A small voice at the back of mind also spoke up though. _But there is another reason you wanted to leave…_ It whispered.

I just ignored it and walked on clear of the market and its crowds, ducking into a side alley before turning and heading down to Magnolia's main street. Here I slowed to a more relaxed walking pace as I looked at the various restaurants that littered the street, pushing that nagging voice aside as I did so. _Let's see… which one should I go to Sting with this time_ I thought as I walked along, _There's that fish place, oh… or that barbecue… or maybe that one with all those foreign foods_. Eventually my legs brought me to one very particular restaurant that was quite new to Magnolia. I grinned as I entered and booked a reserved table alone at the back. _This'll be perfect, especially since Sting seemed sooooo proud of his accomplishments which he boasted about at our last date_ I giggled with glee as I wandered away from the restaurant passing its large sign outside.

'The Sabertooth's Den' it read, with a tiny slogan saying ENDORSED BY THE SABERTOOTH WIZARDS GUILD underneath.

/

After my little detour I went back to the guild to await Gray and Happy's return from the Market. I was only sat down at a booth for about five minutes before I was once again bothered by someone. This time it was the most annoying blonde I knew. "Hey Natsu, what're you doing here, I thought you went to the Market with Gray and Happy?" Lucy said, taking an unoffered seat opposite me at the booth. I sighed at the intrusion.

"I'm just waiting for them actually Lucy, we kinda got separated in the market" I said, not really admitting that I had ditched them there.

"Ohhhh… right." The blonde nodded, cocking her head slightly to the side. "So… I've got something I want to ask you" Lucy said, I held up my hand to stop here from going on.

"I don't want to do another job right now Lucy, go find someone else".

Lucy pouted. "It's not that Natsu. I wanted to ask you something… alright?".

I furrowed my brows, wondering what she was going to say, "Go on then".

"Are you sure? It's kinda about… Dragon Slayer… umm…" she wasn't getting anywhere fast so I jumped in.

"Relationships, right?" I confirmed.

"Wow, you aren't as oblivious as you appear sometimes Natsu" Lucy said with a mixture of genuine surprise and sarcasm.

"Are you gonna tell me or not?" I stated bluntly.

"Fine. I wanted to know if…" she lent in closer and lowered her voice, "… Dragon Slayer relationships are any different to normal ones."

I took in what she was saying, but was still confused as to what she actually wanted to know about. "What makes you think there's a difference?" I asked. Lucy just shrugged so I continued. "Also, when you say relationships, do you mean about love between Dragon Slayers… or the other thing?" I asked for clarification.

"Okay I take that stuff about you not being oblivious back. Of course I mean love you idiot, not… well… _that_ " Lucy said exasperatedly.

"That's kinda hard to explain Lucy, it's sort of private." I said, shifting uncomfortably. I thought of Lucy a bit more like a sister and didn't feel comfortable talking to her about these, erm… intimate things.

Lucy just smirked. "I already asked Sting this you know" she said slyly. I barked out laughing.

"R-Really?" I stammered in between gasps of laughter.

She smiled. "Yeah, he told me some stuff…"

"Like?" I became suddenly more interested as to what Sting had to say on this matter, _and why he would tell Lucy_ I added mentally _._

"I'm not telling Natsu, not until you say something on it first" she shook her head to emphasize this.

"Awww… come on Lucy" I gave her my best puppy eyes, but she wouldn't budge.

"Nope. Not gonna happen Natsu… unless you tell me something about it first". I shook my head.

"I can't Lucy…" I said plainly. Another voice played out in my mind. _You don't want to admit anything to her because you don't want to end up admitting this…_ It said. Like at the market I blocked it out, however it was harder now than before.

"Fine, you can ask Sting what he said yourself Natsu" she motioned to get up, however I found myself grabbing her wrist to stay.

"Don't leave… please" I begged. Lucy seemed surprise by my sudden change in attitude. _There has been something bugging me… I didn't like it in the market… and I'm still a little on edge…_ I thought.

I really didn't want to admit it, even just to myself. _I am afraid_.

"What's up Natsu, why don't you want to be alone? Normally you always like to be left alone" Lucy sat back down, genuine concern in her eyes. _I can't tell her what happened…_

"Is it Sting?" she whispered. I shook my head. The voices playing out once more.

"Nah, it's kinda of… well… not really" I mumbled. She rested her hand on my own.

"You can tell me Natsu" she comforted. I gave in and my shoulders sagged.

"Alright then, there is something bugging me" I admitted.

"Tell me and it may feel better" Lucy said. I looked her in the eyes briefly, before they rolled downwards, looking at the wooden table in front of me.

"There was a reason we were in the infirmary earlier… me and Sting were attacked… at my house in the woods. They were really strong and I just… couldn't protect Sting". It felt like a great weight had just poured out from me, telling Lucy that which I had not admitted to even Sting yet.

"Awww… Natsu. It's okay to be scared, Gildarts tried to teach you that on Tenrou remember. And the fact that your scared for someone else, that's so… cute" Lucy said. "If you're scared about being left alone though, I would try to face your demons. Have you been back to the house yet?" I shook my head, "Well then I'd wait for Sting to get back, tell him this if you haven't already… then go back to the house just to see everything's okay, okay?" I felt much better after talking to Lucy and nodded smiling.

"Thanks Lucy, sorry about all this…"

"Nah, it's cute Natsu… I don't mind helping my friends after all" I nodded in response and she got up.

 _Lucy's right, I need to talk to Sting… about a lot of things…_

/

 **Later that afternoon**

I had sat alone for a little while before going outside to practice some fire magic. My mind was uneasy after that chat with Lucy. _She's right about facing my demons, but… I'm not sure that will help me with all this stuff I feel about Sting_ I thought as I sent crimson flames spiraling through the air and forming different shapes. Watching the fire move to my will helped me to calm down usually, however it only somewhat helped to distract me from these darker thoughts spinning around like a maelstrom in my mind. Eventually I became tired from magic-usage and decided to rest in the sun. It was another warm day and basking in the sun helped me to relax.

Not too soon after I had rested I heard a voice calling my name. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw no other than Romeo running up from the guildhall. "Hey Natsu…" the young boy called, "Have you been training?". I shot Romeo a confident smile, trying to hide the inner turmoil I was experiencing. Romeo returned the smile.

"Yeah I was training before Romeo, why? Did Maccao want me to do something?" I asked pleasantly. Romeo stood with the sun to his back, casting a shadow over my sitting form.

"No, Dad's busy with something, he and Wakaba are out so I wanted to see if you could help me with something" Romeo said, sitting down next to me.

"What are you stuck with, fire magic?" I asked. Romeo nodded and looked down to the ground, obviously he found this embarrassing.

"Yeah… there's some fire magic I've been trying to learn. My teacher, Totomaru, told us of a form of fire magic that can absorb other fires to strengthen itself" Romeo explained.

I looked at the boy, trying to work out what he was asking me to do. "So what… you want to see if it'll work on my fire?" I said eventually. Romeo looked up to me with a glint in his eyes, just like when he was a kid.

"Yeah. Dad says the spell is 'interesting' but says that if it doesn't work then I could end up getting burned, literally" the purple haired boy said, eyes once more going downcast.

I furrowed my brows. "If the spell is supposed to work then why is your dad scared, you could always just use small fire first then work up to bigger ones, right?" Romeo nodded.

"Yeah… but the problem is with the spell you have to match the fire's size exactly otherwise one will overpower the other and go out, so for a big fire it'll take more magical energy. In theory I can do it but I'm not so sure about it exactly working if I did do it".

"So why don't we try it, just don't tell Maccao" I said with a grin. Romeo matched the grin and nodded an agreement.

"Thanks Natsu, I owe ya for this".

"Not a problem Romeo, you're going to get stronger so why should I stop you" I said, getting up.

Romeo stood up as well and we marched a safe distance away from the guild so we didn't get to burn anything accidentally. "Now there's just one thing, my Dragon Slayer fire might not be absorbed, so we'll just have to see, right?" Again Romeo nodded in agreement.

"Alright Natsu, try to make some fire and I'll absorb it… I think" he said unsurely. I shot him another confident smile and he matched it.

I conjured flames around my hand and Romeo overlaid his palms, muttering some incantation. After a few seconds flames of the same bright red as my own burst from his hands and connected with my flames, however upon contact the two flames dissipated. "It's not working Natsu" Romeo stated.

"Try again" I responded. Once more we tried however again nothing happened. "Yep, it's not going to work" I said. "Although, what about this?". Romeo watched as I directed my flames at a nearby twig. It burst into flames easily, however I held onto just enough control of the new flames that they wouldn't go out immediately.

"Oh, try it on some fire you started then?" Romeo asked. I nodded.

"It's not directly Dragon Slayer fire so it should work" I said plainly, concentrating on the flames before me. Once more Romeo cast the spell, red flames branched the distance and… the y connected with a faint pop. I relinquished my control of the flames, however they were maintained by Romeo. "It's working Natsu" he said happily. I smiled.

"'course it works, you're a Fairy Tail wizard, now go practice somewhere your dad won't find out, alright?" Romeo nodded and went off to the exit of the guild, being careful not to accidentally run into Maccao on the way out. I smiled, happy that I could help him, however another dark voice intruded on my thought, _But you can't help Sting…_ I whispered. "Shut up" I voiced aloud before returning to my seat by the guild. "Damn these thoughts".

/

After another brief time alone with just my thoughts another dark haired wizard broke my not-so-peace and quiet. "Couldn't be bothered to stick around in the market" Gray said with a cocky smile.

I looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, I tried looking for a while, but then I couldn't find it, or you… so I came back here to wait for you and Happy" I admitted, completely ignoring the fact that I ditched them there.

Gray smirked. "Well… we managed to find it, and yes we got them". I grinned, amusement playing around with my face to force it into another smile which hid the progressively worsening fears hiding inside my head. "Did you get all three?" I asked. Gray nodded.

"You'd probably like our choices too, but Happy hid them in the back of the guild where we can get them later… you know, when Sting comes back". I nodded.

"Fine, just as long as no-one else finds them first." Gray shook his head.

"I checked, they are only able to be found if you could fly or grow and are _really_ small so only the exceeds should be able to reach them with ease... well, them and Gramps maybe" Gray said.

"Good" I said, directing my attention now away from him and to the afternoon scenery around me. He looked like he was going to say something however stopped midsentence, aware of my sudden change in attitude.

Gray sat down uninvited next to me. "What's the matter Natsu?" he said, cocking his head slightly. I looked straight at him.

"Nothing" I said bluntly. Gray smirked coolly, like he always does when he thinks he's smarter than me.

"You're not a very good liar," he started "…just like you weren't a very good liar when Sting first came to Fairy Tail and you said you were okay when clearly you weren't" he said, a note of knowing concern in his voice, "What's wrong?". My shoulder's sagged.

"Fine, there's something bugging me… I've already told Lucy about it… I'm… kind of scared" I admitted.

"Scared? You? What are you scared of?" Gray said, a note of sarcasm in his voice to try to get me to react in a more normal way, however I did not react to it, I just slumped even further.

"I'm afraid because… well… Sting was in the infirmary earlier because we were attacked at my house and I couldn't protect him," I admitted, my voice wavering a bit as I continued "and before… in that castle… I couldn't protect him there either… I feel like I'm… useless to him… unable to help him when he needs me to". Gray's face turned from concerned to surprise several times while I spoke. It was vaguely amusing, but not enough to get me to smile.

"Natsu… that's… weird to hear from you" I looked at him, mildly confused, however Gray just continued speaking "you help people all the time… you always like to help people, heck you've saved my life several times, as well as many others. It wasn't your fault you and Sting were attacked I'm sure, and if you're afraid, you've always got everyone else both here in Fairy Tail and all our other allies and friends who'll help you." Gray stated. I looked at him and a smile played with my lips.

"Thank you Gray" I said before standing up, "Your right… and so was Lucy…".

"Glad you think so" Gray sounded from below me.

"I've gotta talk to Sting about this though" I voice my thoughts aloud with realising. Gray stood up and put a hand on my shoulder.

"That's better, there's the Natsu we all know" Gray smiled. I smirked before my face blushed. I noticed someone coming up to stand behind Gray.

"Well well… you two better not being doing anything _too_ intimate" a voice sounded from behind Gray. I could already see who it was, however it was amusing to see Gray sweat drop.

"It's n-nothing…" the ice mage stuttered, madly removing his arm and spinning around. Standing behind him, leaning against the wall of the guild was the White Dragon Slayer himself. "Oh… it's you Sting" Gray said after the initial shock wore off.

"Yeah, just got back from that job with Gajeel and Levy, only to find that _my little dragon_ is here getting all mushy with the guy who only came out to me a couple of days ago".

"Your little dragon?" Gray responded confused, although his confusion quickly became a wide grin spread on his features. "Your little _fire_ dragon I assume?" Sting nodded. Gray quickly spun around to face me, however I had been blushing from the moment Sting had said that pet name. "Oh my god that is _adorable_ Natsu".

"S-shut up… _I'm not cute or adorable_ " I said, trying to sound imposing, but failing spectacularly. Gray purred with restrained laughter before making a move to leave.

He waved as he walked off towards the guildhall. "Bye you two" he said. Using my Dragon Slayer senses, I could hear him dying of laughter once he was within the guild. _I'm gonna punch him later_ I thought as Sting got close to me. "Don't worry about him Natsu, he won't tell".

"It's not him telling I'm worried about" I said blandly, "Did you have to say that damned name in front of him?".

"No… but it was worth it just to see your reaction." Sting smiled. _I might punch him too… but after the 'surprise' we've got lined up_.

"He'll be sooooo annoying" I said, voice still bland. Sting just stroke a hand discretely through my hair.

"Once I've given my report to Makarov we're free for the rest of the day..." he said suggestively. I pouted. "Im not sure I want to be with you for the rest of the day now" I said coyly.

"Don't be like that Natsu" Sting said mockingly stern. "So what _are_ we gonna do for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"You'll see…" was all I managed to say.

I giggled a little at the thought of him later, however I was swiftly reminded of my fears from earlier.

 _I've also gotta talk to him about some stuff too…_

 **End of Chapter 16**


	17. Chapter 17 - Surprise!

Chapter 17 – Surprise!

 **Sting POV**

I arrived at the guild a lot earlier than expected. The job with Gajeel and Levy had been a success, well… sort of. Levy deciphered all the ingredients correctly, however the potion itself was flawed and only resulted in a cloud of harmless purple smoke forming. The client was a little irritated, however he accepted that it was not our fault and payed our fee.

As soon as I entered the guildhall, sometime around 6PM, I went over and found Mirajane. "Hey Mira" I said as I approached her, "I've just got back from that job".

"Hello Sting, the Master is in his office, as per usual. Natsu's outside I think." She anticipated my next questions absolutely correctly. I shot her a thankful grin and went to go outside. I could see Natsu sitting with Gray as I approached. They didn't seem to notice me so I decided to see how long it would take. As I neared, however, I saw them both stand up. Assuming them to have seen me I stopped and went to call out, however instead of facing me I saw Gray put his hand on Natsu's shoulder. _What are they up to_? I questioned myself. I approached more quietly and listened in, however they had gone quiet, so I decided to finally get their attention. "Well well… you two better not being doing anything _too_ intimate" I said, leaning against the wall.

/

After an amusing few moments of embarrassing Natsu and a short discussion alone with him about what we were going to do for the rest of the day, we went inside. Natsu went over to Happy whilst I followed the now familiar route to Makarov's office. During the walk my mind ran through the things I needed to talk to Natsu about, and once I arrived at the wooden door I felt my mind begin to wander. _What was Natsu acting so suspicious about when I left?_ I thought as I raised my knuckle and rapped slightly on the door. A 'come in' sounded and I entered without hesitation. Makarov smiled at me. "You're back early. The Client has already contacted us, shame about the potion."

I nodded, however I did not take a seat. _This shouldn't take more than a few minutes then, if the client has already contacted him then he knows most of the details…_ I thought. "Yeah, the potion coulda been interesting, however it was just some flop" I agreed with his comment. "The job itself was not particularly difficult. Levy was quick, efficient, and through with her translation" I stated truthfully, "and Gajeel used his enhanced senses to find the ingredients more quickly than most could have, even some of the rarer ones". This last part may have been a lie.

Makarov took in what I was saying. "Another pass then?" he asked, a standard guild master's response when it comes to the analysis of their own guild. I nodded, but did not speak. "That's good then" he said, "The last job is scheduled for tomorrow, do you have any objections to this?" I shook my head.

"No, tomorrow is fine. We have to get this inspection wrapped up as soon as possible, it feels like it's been going on forever". Makarov smirked at my statement.

"Yeah, and I've still got to go to Sabertooth. There is one other thing though…" the old man got up out of his chair and wandered over to a cabinet. From it he produced a file reading; NEED TO KNOW. "The Magic Council sent me this, it regards your assailants" my attention became fixed on the file. He gave it to me and I immediately opened it. "The man and women in question appear as though they've made several attacks in the past, always to people who've interacted with that dark wizard, Phantasm." He went quiet and allowed this to sink in.

"Does Natsu know about this yet?" I asked with both a mixture of concern and fear. Makarov noted my expression and tone.

"No, since it's 'need to know' I figured you would make that call, especially as you're a Guildmaster… plus, on another note… you know how he'll take it better than any of us… even me it would seem" I relaxed slightly knowing this. _If Natsu finds this out, he might go on a rampage trying to find this guy… Phantasm…_ I thought, opening the file and reading briefly over some of the notes within. The information presented was sketchy at best, mostly just second hand recounts of people witnessing this guy's power. _Ghosts… specters… the dead… necromancy…_ I read on. Many of these witnesses had been some distance away from the event it would seem and many of these reports screamed of fear and desperation. _He doesn't seem to leave anyone in the immediate vicinity alive…_ I thought coldly, a small amount of rage building in my chest at the thought of this guy coming and attacking Fairy Tail or Sabertooth. I closed the file and handed it back to Makarov, a grimmer expression on my features now, knowing of the problems that would most definitely lie in our immediate future. _And I still have to talk to Natsu about us being… Mates…_

"So, what are we going to do Sting?" Makarov asked calmly.

"You're the more senior Guild Master here, should you not make the call?" I stated, afraid of me making decisions about people's lives, especially those of wizards from another guild. "What if I make a mistake and people die?" I voiced with concern.

"What _if_ you make a decision…" Makarov seemed angry by my fearful response, "you may be younger but this affects you much more than me… I have seen you fight in the games… I know you're a good leader if you need to be Sting, so I'm giving you the opportunity to show it. If anyone should make a decision that effect both you and Natsu, since that's who this dark wizard seems to be targeting, then it should be _you_ , don't you think?" I smiled, but still unsurely.

"I'm… not sure what to do. We should probably wait for this guy to come to us, as he seems to be quite good at doing a disappearing act, and what better bait than the two wizards that he has been targeting". Makarov's features softened and he smiled.

"Just be careful and I know that both you and Natsu will be okay. Your both Dragon Slayers after all". I nodded in agreement. _Makarov's right… we are both Dragon Slayers…_ I thought.

"I… need some time to think about this. It may be best to schedule that job with… Wendy, right?... later in the day tomorrow". Makarov nodded in acceptance.

"That's fine, I'll inform Wendy".

"Thank you Master Makarov, I'll take my leave now" I said, going to the office door.

"No need for thanks Master Sting" Makarov said as I closed the door behind me.

I walked a little way down the corridor, before resting my back against a wall. "Damn it… it's just one thing after another" I breathed out in a sigh. "But I suppose that's in the job description".

/

 **Natsu POV**

After talking with Sting outside I was constantly flitting from grinning like an idiot at the prospect of the bet later on, but also fear and worry about us being attacked and me not being able to help him. When we entered the hall I went over to Happy, who was sitting with Carla and Wendy. Sting had gone off in search of Gramps to tell him how the mission went. "Hiya Natsu" Wendy greeted as I approached. I waved.

"Hey, what are you three doing?" I asked, taking a seat next to Wendy whilst I watched Happy harass Carla. He was blathering on about something to do with fish and a house and babies, so I just tuned him out, as did Carla it would seem.

"We're just discussing about tomorrow" the snow white exceed stated plainly, "It's Wendy's turn for a job assessment".

I whistled. "You're going on a job analysis too then?" I directed my attention at the little Sky Dragon Slayer.

"Y-yeah…" Wendy said with her usual lack of self-confidence. "The master has had to put every Dragon Slayer on analysis because of our… erm… destructive history".

I laughed. "Yeah, we _do_ have a tendency towards destroying things." I agreed, "But you don't have to worry about tomorrows job cause this is Sting doing the analysis. He won't fail _you_ I'm sure". Wendy seemed to perk up at the mention of Sting.

"Of course _you'd_ know all about what Sting thinks, wouldn't you Natsu" she commented slyly. I could feel the blood rush to my face with her implication, however Carla seemed confused.

"Why would Natsu know anything about Sting, except that they're both idiots with the intelligence of burnt wood" she said snootily. I scoffed and Wendy scowled.

"Be nice Carla" she said in an annoyed tone. "Natsu and Sting are both powerful Dragon Slayers… if Natsu says there's nothing to worry about then he's probably right, okay?".

"Fine" was all Carla said in response to Wendy stern look. "Now we really should be going and getting ready don't you think?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right, see ya later Natsu and Happy" the little girl said as she got up and left, flying white cat following behind.

As they left Happy stopped mid-sentence. He looked down-trodden. "You know you're never gonna get Carla like that, all that talking will her scare her off little buddy" I said with a smirk.

"Like you can talk Natsu, you we're never going to do anything about Sting until that job" Happy retorted, a grin creeping up on his face as my own face turned to a look of shock at my buddie's cheap shot.

"Fine I won't offer you any advice" I pouted.

"As I said, like you can give advice" Happy continued smirking. I was going to say something, however I stopped as I saw (or more accurately; smelled) Sting coming down the corridor. From his scent I could tell he was annoyed about something. _Wonder what has him all worked up?_

After another few moments Sting materialized at the bar, ordering a drink off of Mira. I got up and walked over to him, whilst Happy went off because he had 'somewhere to be'. _He could probably tell that I could smell something was wrong_ I thought as he left through the guild's main doors.

/

Sting looked up as I approached. _Probably smelled me coming over_ I thought as I sat on the barstool next to him. "Hey Natsu" he said with a smile. I could tell that it was forced.

"Hey Sting" I responded in kind, shooting him a more confident smile to try to get him to be more open with me. "What did Gramps say?" I asked. Sting seemed momentarily set aback by my question, although I can't say for sure why.

"He accepted my report and then we scheduled tomorrows job" Sting said plainly.

"That's the last one, right?" I asked, although I knew it was already.

"Yeah" Sting sighed. I rolled my eyes and crept a little closer to him, although not so close that it would seem suspicious to anyone. He obviously wasn't going to admit anything of his own accord so…

"What's wrong?" I asked as I lowered my voice a little. Sting looked at me and our eyes met. I could see that little glint in his eyes was dimmer than it usually was.

"T-there's nothing wrong" Sting stated. I sighed too and put on another smile.

"I can tell your lying Sting," I tapped my nose to emphasize and Sting's shoulders sagged, "So tell me what's up".

"Since you can smell it there's no use denying it Natsu" Sting said defeated, "I just realised that after tomorrows job we'll be apart again for a while". I took in what he was saying and smiled much more warmly. _And I thought that there was something serious…_

"Let's go to the inn" I said, "I wanna talk to you in private". Sting looked once more into my eyes and I steeled my gaze to encourage him to go with me. He got up and downed the drink he had ordered.

"Let's go" he said wearily, gesturing for me to follow with a general sweep of his arm. I got up and we walked out. On the way outside I passed Gray, who was sitting with Laki and some other wizards. We each exchanged a discrete nod, before I left the guild with Sting. _I can't wait for this_ I thought as I walked alongside Sting, _but first I've gotta make sure he's alright_.

/

We reached Sting's inn room in a short time. I was a bit on edge since Sting hadn't spoken since the guildhall. Admittedly I didn't really feel like talking myself, however it was eerie to hear the normally smiling and happy blonde so deathly silent.

Sting produced the inn key and unlocked the door, motioning for me to go inside first. I did so and he locked the door behind us. I didn't make a move to do anything with him, like I suspect he was thinking I would, but instead I went to the sofa and sat down. Sting followed me and sat down right beside me without much thought. "Right," I said, once I had made sure Sting was listening, "What's wrong with you?". Sting didn't make any move to speak. "You've been waaay too quiet, it's unnatural Sting… I just wanna know that you're okay".

Sting rested his head on my shoulder. " _I'm_ okay Natsu… b-but you know why I'm… distracted".

I slipped my arm over his shoulder and held him close. "You're worried about us being apart?". I phrased this as a question although it was more of a statement. Sting nodded all the same. "What do you have to worry about? I love you… it's not like I'm gonna see anyone behind your back… and we made that plan where I go with Makarov as a 'body guard' because of the risk of attack by that dark wizard guy, right?" again Sting nodded.

"Yeah… I know that we've got the plan but… well… there's something that I'm more concerned about us being separate for." Sting looked up into my eyes.

"Tell me Sting" I pleaded. Sting went quiet for a moment.

"I'm… well I think, or that is I have thought about us being… mates". My eyes softened. _That word… that was what he's afraid of…_

"So I'm not the only one who's thought that…" I admitted "but why does that make you worry?" I was genuinely confused as to why he would worry that would change anything.

"' _A mate always sticks around his chosen… always wants to protect them, be with them_ " That's what Weisslogia taught me. It's not just that we'd be apart, but that we'd be apart _a lot_ that worries me. Mates can't be kept apart Natsu…" Sting looked down to the floor and I had to raise his head with my hand, thumb brushing his cheek lightly.

"We can figure this out. Our guilds aren't that far apart, and I'm sure that we will be able to see each other often" I pushed as much confidence into my voice as I could. Sting smiled.

"I-I… know we _could_ Natsu, and I love you… but… I don't know". He was still so unsure and I couldn't help it anymore.

I kissed him.

/

 **Sting POV**

After Natsu's statement I briefly did feel better, however my doubts would not be that easily removed. "I-I… know we _could_ Natsu, and I love you… but… I don't know". I stuttered, trying to rid these bad, poisonous, thoughts from my head. Then I felt Natsu kiss me.

His lips did more than words ever could. My doubts were burned in his inner dragon-fire. I found myself smiling into the kiss as Natsu began to pull away. "You're such an idiot" Natsu said with a grin. I found myself reassured and began smiling back.

"That's my line" I said.

"Hmph… I wouldn't have to use it if you weren't" Natsu mockingly pouted. He kissed me briefly again before moving to stand up. He raised his eyebrows and began grinning. _He really wants to do that now? After all this?_ I thought, guessing at what Natsu was thinking we could do next.

"What do you want Natsu?" I said coyly. It's not like I _didn't_ want to fuck him, it's just that I didn't think he would want to straight after such a heavy talk as this.

Natsu for his part just kept grinning. "No, I'm not going to fuck you yet Sting" he said with a shake of his head. "It's just we have a visitor". I furrowed my brows.

"You can smell them?" I asked, I couldn't smell anyone.

"They've been here since the start, pretty much" Natsu admitted. _So here he comes with his plan…_ I thought, working out who it could be that was standing at the door, although I already had a pretty good idea. "You're gonna have to open the door Sting" Natsu said.

I got up and went to the door, fumbling around for my key as I did so. I didn't keep myself in suspense for long as I quickly flung the door open to see another mage standing there grinning.

"Hey there love birds" Gray said.

"I figured" I said with a groan. "The bet?".

"Yup, can I come in?" Gray cocked his head. He was waaaay too happy. _What the hell is he going to make me do?_ I thought as I went back to my seat on the sofa.

"Spill it Gray" I said, trying to sound frustrated at mine and Natsu's interruption, but really just hiding my anxiousness. "What are you gonna make me do then?". It wasn't Gray, but Natsu which spoke next.

"Well… I wanted to get some payback for you betting _against_ me with Gray so…" Natsu explained the bet. My face got more and more red as he continued.

At the end I groaned.

/

 **General POV, at the Fairy Tail guildhall**

It was quiet, which was odd considering this was Fairy Tail _and_ the guildhall was packed. Several mages were sitting in groups chatting, there was quite a few rumors running around the guild, especially about all the free time Natsu and Sting had been spending together. At the bar Maccao was chatting with Wakaba about this very topic.

"What do you think those two were talking about?" Wakaba asked the 4th master of Fairy Tail.

"Don't know, but Natsu and Sting sure have been spending a lot of time together lately" Maccao replied.

"It's nice to see that we can still make strong allies. Although I won't mind even if those two just didn't fight. Two Dragon Slayers going head to head I our guildhall might not be the best for our reputation, especially since Sting's a Guildmaster" Wakaba observed.

"Agreed" Maccao stated, "But did you notice Gray leave just a few moments after them?".

"Yeah, wonder what's going on? They've gotta be planning _something_ _,_ right?" Waka puffed out a ring of smoke.

"Hmmm… as long as it doesn't affect Sting's assessment it should be fine".

"I don't think Gray, or even Natsu, would be stupid enough to do something like that" Wakaba smirked.

"I hope so" Maccao was not so sure.

Suddenly the doors to the guildhall burst open. All eyes sifted to the entrance as Happy floated in, grinning. He raised his paws to his mouth and shouted. "Ladies and Gentlemen. For our performance tonight we have a feline straight from the clowder of the finest cats in all of Fiore. Give it up for Master Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth".

On cue Sting bounded into the guildhall… wearing a massive cat head. "Meow Meow" he said amused by the cluster of wizards, all of whom were completely stunned for words. He didn't stop though. Summoning forth white light he drew patterns in the air, forming the shape of a giant cat out of his light, before raising his fists up to either side. "White Dragons Claw" he shouted, causing light to erupt from his left, and right hands. He carefully controlled the light to make it form a perfect 'U'-shaped bridge which rose up into the air and connected at a point up above his cat-head. The cat head itself was white, but with a drawn on tuft of golden-blonde hair, as well as the standard massive triangular feline eyes as well as long bold lines for whiskers, with a tiny pink triangle nose. Following his light-based antics Sting dispersed the magic and stepped back as Happy's voice once more lifted to rise above the now roaring guild. He had never seen them laugh so hard before. "Also tonight we have Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster" he called.

At this Natsu and Gray leapt into the guild, both also wearing giant cat-heads. Natsu's was orange, but with a tuft of pink hair on the top, whilst Gray's was dark blue with jet black hair. "Fire Dragon Roar" Natsu shouted, aiming a column of flames upwards. "White Dragon Roar" Sting followed his example. Finally, Gray, positioning himself in-between the two Dragon Slayers, called up an icy mist. "Ice Make; Tiger Statue" he shouted. The ice formed above him a giant, fierce looking tiger. The fire and light from Sting and Natsu shifted and began swirling around the statue in quite a brilliant display. That was until a voice roared well above the volume of the crowd.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" It was Makarov.

/

The tiny elderly Guildmaster had been watching the display from the outset, observing Sting's antics. He had briefly wondered who had put him up to this, however his question was soon answered by the appearance of the two Fairy Tail wizards. When he felt that the idiotic display had gone on long enough he walked up to the top of the stairs and called out. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" he boomed threateningly.

As he descended the stairs Natsu, Sting and Gray all stopped what they were doing and removed their cat-heads. Natsu and Gray looked quite sheepish at the blazing glare of their master, however Sting was smiling.

"Sorry about this Makarov" Sting said as the Master of Fairy Tail approached them and finally stood right in front of the trio. His hand enlarged and grabbed the snickering form of Happy from the air, dragging him down too. "Sorry?" Makarov was mildly confused. He had expected to find Sting embarrassed, yet he was grinning like an idiot. Sting rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah… well… you see… Me and Gray had a bet and I kinda lost so… I had to do this. Although I have to admit, it was sort of worth it just for the responses your guild made" Sting explained. "These two idiots wanted to join in too".

Makarov smirked. "Most Masters wouldn't ever dream of making such a fool of themselves to other guilds… you're quite the odd leader Master Eucliffe." Sting bowed slightly, taking this as a compliment. Makarov noted this with a softened expression. "It _is_ nice to see something different" he admitted.

"Well… I don't like to think that me being a Master makes me different from me being a guild wizard of Sabertooth, so I'm always up for a bit of fun" Sting chuckled, tapping his fingers off of the cat head. Makarov nodded, then altered his vision to focus on the two members of Fairy Tail and his stare intensified.

"You three should be punished for doing something so possibly damaging to Fairy Tail's reputation…" Sting flicked his view to see Gray, Happy and Natsu sweating a little at the talk of some punishment. "…however, you're lucky Sting took this in such good graces, and as you two have already succeeded in making a fool of yourselves… I let you off this once". With that Makarov did an about face and strode off to the bar to grab a beer.

Natsu and Gray gave a huge sigh of relief as Sting began laughing.

/

 **Sting POV**

 **Sometime later in the guildhall**

After our little show me, Natsu, and Gray took a seat at a far booth. A few guild members had raised comments about the show, some even complimenting us on our impressive manipulation of magic, however most just came to pick a little fun at Natsu or Gray. Not a single one wanted to pick fun at me quite amusingly.

"Well… when you said you wanted to claim on our bet Gray, I would _never_ have guess that" I stated as we finally were left alone for a brief interlude.

Gray chuckled. "Yeah… but it was Happy who inspired me with this idea" he admitted.

Natsu had been strangely quiet. "What's up Natsu?" I asked him. He jumped at the question.

"Sorry… I was just thinking…" he avoided answering further.

"About?" I pressed him for more information. He blushed and Gray smirked at his reaction.

"Well… umm… I kinda… think that you…" he still didn't answer, I got a little snappier with my questioning.

"Think what about me Natsu?" I asked.

Natsu didn't respond immediately, he just blushed deeper. "I… had an _interesting…_ vision of you with that cat head". My eyes widened as I figured what he was getting at.

"You didn't really think of me like that Natsu… seriously… _you can find this sexy_ " I was _really_ not expecting this from him. Natsu looked sheepish.

"Well… yeah… kinda" he shrugged, "It's not like I'm _asking_ you to do anything… I just thought it, that's all". Gray chuckled.

"That was something I never thought I'd hear. You two have your little _discussion_ , I'm gonna go home. I can see Juvia hiding behind that pillar over there eyeing me. She seemed a bit _overly_ interested in our performance and I really can't be bothered to deal with her, so see ya" with that Gray got up.

"See ya" Natsu said. I just gave a mock little wave.

Once Gray was gone I leaned in closer to Natsu. "Now that we're unencumbered," he looked straight into my eyes, "how about we go back to my place?" I whispered.

Natsu whimpered. "Um… I would like to, but I want to talk to you about something first". I retreated a short distance away from him. It wasn't like Natsu to refuse any offer of a quick fuck. "What do you want to talk about Natsu?" I asked, intrigued.

"Well… I never mentioned this when we were talking before… but I also was… having some pretty scary thoughts… while you were away, and even when you came back" His voice wavered. I looked at him deeply, observing how his eyes averted my gaze, and how he tapped and shifted uncomfortably. _Now I feel guilty… I was worried about something and yet Natsu… I ignored the fact that he wanted to speak to me about something too… obviously something major must have worried him_ … I went to stroke his cheek, but retreated my arm when I remembered we were in public.

"Right Natsu…" I said to grab his attention "you _need_ to come back to the inn. Looks like it's time for part 2 of our private discussion, and it's your turn to pour _your_ heart out to me, alright?" I shot him a more confident grin, and Natsu smirked back briefly.

"Alright Sting, let's go" he said. We got up and left, ignoring some of the heckles of mages who had obviously been reading into some of the rumors which I _know_ are circulating around the guild.

/

Once we were at the inn room I unlocked the door once more and, once again, gestured for Natsu to go in first. Like the first time today he went over to the sofa and, after locking the door, I followed him over and sat down beside him. Unlike before, however, he rested his head on _my_ shoulder, which I knew was deliberate since he smirked a little before taking a deep breath in. I slipped my arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to me.

"Right… now you tell me what's wrong Natsu, and I'll try… no, I _will_ help you, this time" I said. Natsu breathed in another heavy breath before speaking.

"Well… I've been having some rather… dark… thoughts since we were attacked at my house." I looked down at him and he met my gaze. _He's been worrying about that?_ I thought. Natsu continued speaking. "You know that… I've been worried that I can't protect you… and I know you said that I didn't need to worry, but I just can't help it." Hearing Natsu voice these fears once again caused memories of our earlier conversation to flood my mind. _' "I'm… sorry Sting, you always get hurt when I'm around… I can't protect you…" ' he had said so fearfully…_

I smiled warmly. "Natsu, I think I told you this before but… none of those things were your fault. And I _know_ you agreed to stop worrying for this." Natsu nodded.

"I know but… I can't stop thinking that I won't be able to help you when you really need me to and…" I put a finger to his lips, silencing his fearful voice.

I filled my eyes with as much love for him as I could muster before repeating the very same words I had said to him before. "Don't worry about me so much and keep yourself safe, for me. In return I'll keep myself safe for you" I parroted. Natsu went silent. Hearing those words again seemed to pacify whatever thoughts he had been having that were causing that unacceptable fear in his mind. He nuzzled deeper into my chest before trailing a few kisses along my jawline.

"I'm sorry Sting…" he mewled, "Your right… your always right. I am going to burn these damned thoughts from my head and make sure I can protect you _and_ keep myself safe". I smiled and stroked his cheek, before running my fingers through his pink locks.

"There's the Natsu I love" I said warmly. Natsu smiled back.

"Sorry I've been gone for so long" he replied. I kissed him softly.

"It's okay… I forgive you" I said with a big smile. Natsu grinned before his face withdrew into a fearfully panicked look. Seeing how Natsu had just admitted his fears to me I worried that he had reverted despite what I said, however my own worries were calmed when he took in my expression. "Sorry Sting, I was just thinking… what's the time?". I scratched my head, even more confused by this sudden change of tone from him.

"Errr… around 8PM I think" I responded, furrowing my brows in confusion. "Why?".

"Well… I've got a reservation for 9PM" Natsu smirked. "If you want to go that is…".

I smiled impossibly large. "Another date?" I chuckled. Natsu rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah… I figured that you might need some cheering up after the bet… I didn't think you'd get so… _involved_ in it though" he joined in my chuckling.

"Hmph… you underestimate me _my little dragon_ " I said coyly.

"Yeah… we got a little time though… maybe you should _punish me_ for incorrectly assuming so much about you" Natsu replied with a cheeky little grin.

"Maybe I will" I said, pulling Natsu in for a more passionate kiss.

 **End of Chapter 17**


	18. Chapter 18 - Dates and Desires

Chapter 18 – Dates and Desires, Fear runs amok

 **Sting POV**

We kissed. I pulled Natsu closer to me, hand running through his pink locks whilst he slipped his arms around my waist and up my back. I had kissed him, however he had been the one to demand entrance first, begging with his tongue at my lips, I was already prepared to give and did so readily. For now. After a few moments of passion, we had to stop; the demands of life forcing us apart.

Natsu was grinning as I pulled away and pushed him further down onto the sofa. "So… _my little dragon_ ," I whispered in his ear, nibbling the lobe slightly, "You want me to _punish_ you for your incorrect assumption, _yes_?". I straddled my legs to either side of his thighs and ground down on his lap, causing a moan to spring from his throat.

"Yes…" he moaned. I smirked cockily as I ravaged his mouth, this time forcing for entrance into his cavern. He did not have time to allow it, however he _definitely_ wanted it. I rested my hands on his shoulders, pressing him down beneath me, whilst he slipped his arms once more around my waist. I dominated the kiss as Natsu's hands explored my body. He drew circles into my back as he lightly pushed for me to be closer to him. I smirked as he let out a few moans; I could feel him already hard beneath my spot on his lap.

When we broke apart again a string of saliva connected us. "How _bad_ do you want me to do this Natsu? _Tell me_ …" I whispered lustfully, grinding once more onto his member through the thin fabric. " _Beg…_ " I whispered.

Natsu groaned with pleasure. "Fuck Sting… just… _fuck…"_ he moaned out in ragged breaths. I removed my vest and top, throwing them to the ground nearby. I then proceeded to attack Natsu's mouth for a third time, hands running down from his shoulders to caress his chest roughly. He brought his arms around from my waist and ran his hands up my torso muscles. He grabbed slightly on my arms as I went to pull his waistcoat off him. He still allowed me to do so, however afterwards he broke away from my crushing kiss. "Sting…" he panted out, "I want you… I want you to _suck_ me… please?". He blushed deeply as he made his request. I smiled, amused by Natsu's sudden shyness. _Whenever he wants something he looks so damned cute_ I thought to myself, _But let's see how far he's willing to go…_

"Alright _my little dragon_ ," I said with a dark look, "I'll suck you… IF you prove that you deserve it…" Natsu pouted slightly.

"I said punish me, not fucking torture…" he whined.

"Was that a complaint?" I said in a coy tone, grinding into Natsu's hard member once more.

"N-no…" Natsu whimpered, biting his lip, "…but-t, what do you want me t-to… do… to _prove_ that I deserve it?" He obviously wanted to know what I wanted him to do, _he wants to make sure that I get what I want and not just what he wants… that's too fucking sweet_ I thought.

"I'll let you decide _how_ you want to prove yourself…" I whispered in a lustful yet playful tone.

"R-right…" Natsu moaned out again. I decided to give him a bit of control and move to the spot beside him, trailing kisses down his neck as my hands explored his taut muscles. He ran his hands over my body before shifting himself lower. He began trailing kisses down my body before running his hands lower. One rested on my thigh, gripping it somewhat tightly, whilst the other rested directly on the tent in my pants. Natsu began palming my cock whilst he directed his kisses further across my chest, stopping at my nipple. He suckled and nipped around the area before my hand came to rest on the back of his head once more. This time I applied a little pressure and sure enough he stopped his teasing and got on with what he intended. He suckled and nipped the bud with his teeth, all the while palming my hard member. "Fuck…Natsu…" an involuntary moan escaped my throat.

"That what you wanted?" Natsu asked cockily, voice slightly muffled as his mouth was preoccupied.

"Yes… you are _proving_ you deserve your treat… _my little dragon_ " I tried desperately to cling onto any control I had left. Once I felt myself beginning to reach my limit I pulled Natsu's head away, using my grip on the back of his head to force him from my chest. "I think that's enough Natsu… or I won't be able to give you your treat" I said with a grin. Natsu smirked once more before raising himself up once more to sit level with me.

"Why would you coming affect my treat?" Natsu said huskily.

"Fine… maybe I should say I _won't_ give you your treat…" I corrected. Natsu just continued his cocky smirk. I kissed that cocky grin off of him one final time, before trailing more kisses down his body, stopping when I reached his trousers. I looked up at him and our eyes met as I began undoing his belt and slipping his loose beige trousers and underwear down his legs. I took them clean off before throwing them in a pile with his waistcoat. I momentarily savored the look of Natsu naked before me. "Damn you always look so good Natsu…" I whispered. He burst out into a huge grin at my comment.

"I agree" was all he said, in the cockiest tone he could muster. I decided not to leave him waiting anymore. I lowered myself down and, not breaking eye contact, took his length into my mouth. I swallowed him down to the hilt, not stopping or wavering, I wanted the _whole_ of Natsu. He moaned a little, however these were nothing to what noises he _could_ be making, I noted. This spurred even more into action. I began forming a steady rhythm, using my tongue to taste the few droplets of pre-cum that had formed on his tip. He moaned each and every time I passed my tongue over his slit, and this amused me greatly, although I don't know exactly why.

Eventually the burning in my own pants could not be ignored, however, and I began to palm myself through my trousers. The actions of my hand caused me to moan around Natsu's member, the vibrations of which sent waves of pleasure up his body as he moaned with intensified passion. I could feel his hands, which had been bunched up at his sides, both curling through my hair, tugging me into a frenzied rhythm, only slowing their assault by three simple words ushered in-between moans from Natsu's mouth. "I'm… gonna… come" he said. Like our very first time together I stopped focusing on myself and grabbed Natsu's thighs as I swallowed the hot ropes of seed which shot into my mouth.

/

Once Natsu's orgasm had subsided I took his member out of my mouth. "Enjoy your punishment?" I asked with a wry smile. Natsu nodded, but did not speak. His face was the picture of pure bliss. "Come on" I said after a minute or so, breaking the mood before it could even settle in, "It's almost time for your reservation soon". Natsu snapped back to reality quite quickly at those words.

"Oh right… the date" he said with dumbed realization before looking down at himself, "I gotta get cleaned up".

"There's a shower next door, hop in it, quickly though" I said, rolling my eyes and picking up our clothes that were strewn about on the floor. Natsu didn't respond with anything more than bustled movement towards my shower. I slipped my vest and shirt back on whilst he showered. I still had a hard on, however I wanted to stop myself from releasing just yet. _If all goes according to_ my _plan, then I'll get my release later…_ I thought with a dark look as the sound of running water flowed into the room from where Natsu was showering.

After a few minutes Natsu reappeared, looking around quite lost. I had cleaned up any mess that had been on the sofa and was now lying on it. I could smell Natsu's sweat stuck onto the fabric, however I had to shrug this off for now… although I know it will drive me crazy if I'm left here alone with that scent of his all around the place. I had closed my eyes for a few moments, a little fatigue setting in from the job earlier; when Natsu entered I reopened them and smiled. He was quite cute with that 'lost puppy' expression on his face. I gestured to the bed. "Your clothes are on there" I said, roughly pointing in the general direction, "they're clean, they didn't get anything on them whilst we were… well" I left the sentence unfinished. Natsu smiled back at me.

"You know, I never quite noticed this but…" he left it unsaid as he disappeared off to get his clothes, returning a few moments later.

"Noticed what…" I prompted him as he got changed in front of me.

He giggled a little before speaking. "You always tease _me_ about being all shy in front of you when we talk about… sex… however _you're_ also like that sometimes" he observed. I pouted.

"Maybe… but you do it waaaay more often Natsu… and anyways I always have to prompt you to make sure you're interested in doing it" I retorted. Natsu just kept smiling as he slipped his waistcoat around his shoulders.

"Right, sure… shall we go then?" he said. I got up and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, lets go. I'm interested in what you've got planned last time."

Natsu smiled a little darker, causing my suspicions to soar. "You'll see… but I can't promise that it'll be any better than the first one". I nodded, opening the door to the inn room and letting Natsu take the lead.

"Yeah, that was perfect" I agreed with a smirk.

"Hmph… thanks for the vote of confidence." Natsu mock pouted. I laughed as I closed and once more locked the door.

/

 **Natsu POV**

As soon as Sting saw the place he sweat dropped. "This place Natsu?" he asked in mild shock. I was too busy enjoying his look of surprise to respond immediately. When I did it came with a bit of a chuckle.

"Yeah… on our last, _date,_ " I whispered the word quietly, "You seemed quite pleased with yourself when you mentioned those ' _three restaurants, two stores, and a dozen various other places around Fiore_ ' so I figured I should try out one of those 'other places around Fiore' you mentioned". I couldn't stop grinning as Sting tried to recover his standing.

"R-right… I suppose we _could_ try the food here" he said unsurely. I furrowed my brow.

"You haven't eaten here before?" I asked. He shook his head and I asked for confirmation, "But you gave it your blessings anyways?" He nodded.

"No, I haven't eaten here before. It was Rogue who said these places were good and we needed the money so… we endorsed them in a few advertisements" he admitted. I laughed a little louder than my chuckle before.

"Well then… guess it'll be first time for us both then" I grinned. Sting returned my grin and we entered the 'The Sabertooth's Den' together. Upon entering Sting was met with a very warm reception from the waitress who was waiting for us.

"Hello Master Eucliffe," she began, "Welcome to our restaurant, please come this way and we'll get you to your private room." I stopped her before I pointed out that I was with him. She seemed to stop her bustling for a moment before straightening her composure. "You're the one who booked the room… Mr Dragneel, yes?" she asked. I nodded.

"Should be a table for two in a private room?" I checked with her. She nodded before directing us through to the back rooms were 'business' meetings were held. _Good,_ I thought as we went over to enter the room, _they think it's a business meeting, that'll make it easier to keep this discrete_. When we entered the room it was quite dark. We sat at the wooden table as the waitress went and brought us two menus. Once she had found them and left the room for a moment Sting spoke up. "It's kinda dark in here" he noted. There were some candles around the room and I realised what he was getting at.

"I could light 'em" I said, matching his smirk with a wry smile of my own. "But won't that make it a bit too obvious?" I said. Sting shook his head.

"Light them please Natsu, I know this sounds silly… but I prefer my rooms more well-lit". I cocked my head slightly, but complied. I used a little magical energy and lit the wicks of all the candles, sending orange light spilling around the room.

"That better?" I asked. Sting nodded, a touch of pink hue appearing in his cheeks.

"Yeah… I think it might just be my Dragon Slayer Magic, but I've never really liked the dark very much." Hearing his small confession, I suddenly felt a stab of warmth spread about my chest.

"Good to know" I replied, although I really just wanted to kiss him right this instant for blushing and being so cute. "Did it have to be candles though?" I asked, "Could you not have asked just if they could light the room up a bit? Or change rooms? Candles makes it a little more… _intimate,_ maybe?" I couldn't quite place the word, yet that seemed to fit.

"It's fine, I've got some excuses we can use…" he stopped as the door opened and the waitress returned. Followed by a short, and quite rotund man, with a large mustache.

"Excuse me gentlemen," The waitress said, somewhat apologetically, "But may I introduce the manager of our establishment". She gave a little bow and he nodded as he approached the table.

"Sorry for the disturbance," he began, voice a boom which we could really do without, "But I just _had_ to see the man responsible for the establishment which now supports my family. And to thank him for his endorsement, along with others in the chain". Sting smiled.

"Yeah, although I have to admit it's not really me you should thank. Rogue of Sabertooth was the one who recommended these places as possible endorsements, and I agreed wholeheartedly with his decisions, this, of course, was among them". The manager nodded politely in understanding.

"If there is anything you require please don't hesitate to ask. Oh… and your meals are both half price for tonight. Now with that…" With that he did a short turn, only turning to face us at the door. He bowed as much as his body would let him. "I shall leave you in peace. Zita, you may focus on our special guests for this evening". With his last command he left, closing the door as he did so. Sting then looked at the waitress.

"Would you prefer us to call you Zita?" he asked politely. She bowed in equally as much of a polite response.

"If you would sirs, or whatever else may suit you". Sting nodded.

"Zita it is… now, as for drinks we would like," he was about to speak but I jumped in.

"The best beer this place has" I said. Sting shot me a look that could cut solid stone. Zita nodded and took down a quick note before moving on to ask about our food.

"We haven't decided that yet" Sting said, "Just give us a few more minutes, thank you". Zita bowed once more and then left to get us our drinks. Once more Sting waited for her departure before speaking again. "What was that about Natsu?" he asked, eyes showing a little annoyance. I shrugged.

"You were going to say 'Wine' and I already said that we need to be discrete so I changed the order" I smirked as Sting pouted.

"But it makes this seem like more of a date to me…" he whined. I just rolled my eyes.

"But Sting, are the candles and the…one on one, not enough for tonight?" I asked, wondering how he would respond. Answer, he didn't. Eventually I just spoke up again. "Are you going to sulk all night?" I asked. Sting looked up at me after that.

"No, your right… we need to be discrete." He said defeated. The waitress returned and placed our beers down in nice glasses with some weird pattern along the rim. It had the Sabertooth guild mark on it too. I noticed Sting looking at them with interest, whilst I just made a note to ask him about these later. _And poke fun maybe_. After ordering our meals we sat in quiet for a little while.

After a period, Sting broke it. "So Natsu… have you thought about us being apart anymore?" he seemed a little concerned as he said this. I shook my head, noting his marginally worried expression.

"Not since our discussion earlier. Your right, I'm trying to refocus. All I can think at the moment though is that I'm worrying about how I'm gonna pay for food and stuff as I haven't been on a paid job since that one with Lucy… and even that didn't give me much spare jewel to spend". Sting laughed.

"Yeah, I know that you've been waiting around for me, and it's nice you've planned stuff like this," he gestured around the room in general, "But I don't want you to have to suffer anything bad because I'm around, alright?". I nodded.

"Your right, but I do enjoy these times I spend with you" I said with a warm smile playing on my lips. Sting returned the smile.

"I enjoy them too" he said. He outstretched his hand across the table and I found myself taking it and cupping it with my own, our fingers interlocking. Sting smiled even more warmly as I did this. "And you worried about being discrete" he said a little sarcastically.

"Shut it Sting, don't ruin these moments, we may not have many of them after this" I prodded that topic carefully and Sting cocked his head to the side.

"Look who's being all mature" he said jovially. _I really want to punch him_ I thought, _but that might start a fight that this place can't afford_. Sting just kept smiling and I felt that fluttery feeling of love flow around my stomach. Feeling it again I realised that I hadn't felt this way since before we were attacked at my house in the woods. I realised I missed it.

"Sting, I love you" I said without thinking. Sting's smile impossibly intensified. He went to say something but the door opened. We pulled our hands back discreetly, making sure it went unnoticed by the food carrying waitress. _Damned timing_ … I thought with a subtle smile. I looked to see Sting also smiling as Zita placed the dishes we ordered in front of us. For me a starter of various little bits of fish and for Sting a salad. I smiled gratefully as she retreated straight back out of the room after enquiring if we needed anything else.

"This looks delicious" I said, eyeing up my starter. Sting nodded and tucked into his salad.

"Yeah this is nice too" he commented, "Looks like Rogue was right about this place's food".

I nodded in agreement, mouth full of delicious fish. "Yup, I might come here again. Happy would probably like the fish here" I said. Sting nodded.

Once we had finished we talked a little more and, as Zita arrived to remove our old plates, another waitress arrived to replace them with the main course we had ordered. In this case we had both agreed on a nice big meat dish, with lots of sides to share between us. After another period of intermittent talking and eating we finished off our meals.

"Well that was another good meal" Sting said, carefully arranging the mess of foodless plates between us.

"You don't need to fuss with those Sting," I sighed, "But you're right about the food." _He always seems to tidy everything up when he's in front of me. Wonder if he's like this all the time though?_ I thought. Zita reappeared and cleared away the plates with the assistance of the other waitress. "Thank you Zita" Sting said with a friendly smile. "We would also like to have our desserts brought in too, if you wouldn't mind."

"Of course sirs" she said with a carefully executed bow of her head. "Would you like me to get you another drink?" she inquired before leaving.

Sting grinned as he went to speak again, however I once more interjected. "Another of those beers each, if you would please" I asked politely. Sting scowled at me as the two waitresses exited the door.

"You had to do it again?" he said with an again mildly annoyed tone. I grinned. He had tried that before when they had brought our main courses, however I had leapt in and said that we were 'fine'. Which annoyed Sting even more; it amused me to see Sting get so worked up at not getting what he wanted.

When Zita returned with the desserts and drinks we also requested for the bill to be given when we were finished with this last course, which she graciously accepted and left promptly. All part of her job.

/

 **A little while later**

After about another half an hour me and Sting exited the restaurant. He had been pouting when I insisted on paying for the restaurant bill, saying that I had already said I was 'short of money', however this did not deter me and after a little while he just gave up. As we walked along the blackened streets it was well into midnight. I walked close to Sting, a little fear rising from the depths of my mind. I tried to ignore the images forming of our attackers from my house before and eventually I realised I was practically walking on top of Sting. He stopped me with his hands on my shoulders. "Natsu, what's wrong?" he asked, eyes concerned deeply.

"N-nothing…" I stuttered, eyes trying to avoid his gaze. He shook me a little.

"Just tell me" he said, exasperated. "You're not still afraid of us being attacked, are you?". I let my eyes fall to the ground, downcast with admittance. Sting read my face and embraced me tightly. "You need to face your fears Natsu…" he said, before realization hit him, "You haven't been back to your house, have you?". I shook my head and slipped my arms around his shoulders.

"No…" I admitted meekly. In my peripheral vision I saw Sting's gaze steel as he used one hand to force my head up to look straight at him.

"We're going there right now" he said. I pulled away from him.

"No" I said adamantly, voice a little fearful.

"Yes" Sting argued, "Your just not the same when you're afraid Natsu… so why not go back there, find out that nothings the matter, and then move on?". I shook my head again. _I know I should but… I don't want to_ I admitted silently.

Sting shook his head. "How about this Natsu… we can either go to _your_ place and have some _fun_ … or I can go back to my inn room right now and leave you on your own, your choice". I stared at him carefully, considering his options. I obviously wanted to say 'yes, let's go have some fun' and bound off happily into the night, however realistically, I could help cower in front of my fears. Especially since I had only just earlier stopped worrying thanks to Sting.

"I'm… not sure I can go back there Sting…" I said. Sting smirked.

"Suit yourself…" he said, turning his back to me. He began walking and I found myself following him instinctively. "Following me Natsu?" he called back, not stopping, but rather increasing his pace. I matched his pace as he led me through Magnolia, "You know I won't give in".

I just nodded, but followed anyways. I could feel something pulling me towards him, like I just needed to be by his side anyways, even if he would push me away. Eventually he stopped and I ended up stood shoulder to shoulder with him. I looked around and found he was grinning at me. "We're here" he said. I frowned in confusion.

He had led me to the edge of Magnolia and I hadn't realised. "But this is…" I started. He patted me on the shoulder.

"I had to get you to come here… and well… I hoped you would follow me". He had led me straight to the forest path that led to my house in the woods.

/

 **Sting POV**

My plan worked and Natsu followed me through Magnolia, not really paying attention as to where he was headed. _Im sorry Natsu…_ I silently apologized, _But I need you to be less afraid… or else I'm not sure I will be able to leave you on your own when I have to._

When I stopped at the forest Natsu seemed confused. I grinned, hopefully he wouldn't just run away. "We're here" I chimed. Natsu briefly looked around and then realization hit him.

"But this is…" he started to say, falling silent part way through. I patted him on the shoulder, once more to reassure him that this needed to be done.

"I had to get you to come here… and well… I hoped you would follow me" I said, hoping he would understand. "Now… do you want me to go in first?" I asked. Natsu looked at me and I could see he wasn't going to say anything so I started down the shadowy path. He waited for a few moments before bounding to catch me up. I looked at him with sideways glances to notice that he seemed a bit more timid so I sighed and took his hand.

Eventually he seemed a lot calmer and as we continued I noticed he was smiling. "Natsu… feeling better?" I inquired in a soothing tone. He shot his smile towards me.

"Yup… I just realised something…" he said unenlighteningly.

"What?" I asked. Hoping he had realised his fear was pointless and I would get back the Natsu I idolized and loved.

"Well… you had to go first… to get me to come in here… however I don't feel afraid when I'm close to you like this" he squeezed my hand a little "and I'm always so afraid of you being injured without me there to protect you… however you've helped me so many times I can't let you get injured by coming here by yourself, so I wanted to thank you Sting for _making_ me come here…" he blushed a little "and for loving me enough to make me see this" He added. I smiled warmly.

"Natsu, I can't sit by as you stand afraid of coming back to your own _home_." I said with as much emphasis as I could. "I love you too much to leave you afraid, I mean after all… you are the Salamander who fears of nothing" Natsu's smile broadened at the compliment. "And… you're my little dragon too" I added with a pink hue adorning my cheeks as well.

"I know I said this earlier but thank you for helping me when I'm afraid" Natsu said with a much calmer demeanor. I stopped, using my grip on Natsu's hand to pull him close to me. Once he was facing me I held his chin with my other hand and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, letting go of my hand in the process. Once I pulled away he returned to our previous position, hands clasping, fingers interlocking this time. "Thank you Sting" Natsu repeated. I stroked his cheek with my thumb.

"Come on, let's get into _your_ house and have some… _fun_ " I said confidently. Once more we set off, this time at an increased pace from before.

Once the house fell into view I felt Natsu slow a bit. _Obviously his fear has not totally gone_ I noted _Let's get him inside… see if he's okay…_

I pulled him forward a little and he seemed to do the rest on his own, falling into step with me. This made me smile broader. We reached his front door, he opened it, and we went inside. Once we were inside Natsu quickly closed the door and had me sit on his sofa. "Doesn't look like those guys came back, I can't smell them" I said as I took a seat, hoping that knowledge would remove any of Natsu's lingering fears. Natsu nodded as he came over too.

"Yeah, I can't smell 'em either, they probably ran off somewhere" he said. I smirked. _His confidence is back at least…_

"Told you there was nothing to be afraid of" I said in a told-you-so kind of tone. Natsu smiled.

"Yeah, thank you for that" he said. I pulled him in close, wrapping my arm around his shoulders.

"You don't need to keep thanking me, that's three times now" I said, before kissing his perfect smiling face. Natsu mumbled something, however I didn't need to hear the words to know what he was saying. Once we pulled away for air I spoke up again. "That's four" I said as Natsu's eyes went downcast.

"Sorry…" he said. I simply kissed him again. His hand snaked up my back and drew those ever so pleasant circles along my spine.

"Let's go upstairs…" I said when we parted next. Natsu pulled me up and began to almost drag me by the hand up the stairs.

/

When we reached his bedroom door he stopped and grinned. "I just thought…" he started. I wrapped my arms around his waist and locked my fingers together at the base of his spine.

"What is it Natsu?" I said, calmly, but with a hint of annoyance at being stopped before we did anything.

"You've not bottomed yet" he stated, matter-of-factly. He then emphasized this fact with a subtle grope of my ass.

I cocked my head. "Why does that bother you…" I asked, "are you offering tooo…" I left it open for him to finish.

"W-well… I just thought, do you… um… want to, or-" I cut him off with a finger to his lips. A sly smile grew on my face.

"Don't worry what I want Natsu. I'll make it perfectly clear what I want to do, and if you want to top me then you can, just tell me, okay?" I said in a pleasant whisper.

Natsu looked deep into my eyes. "I'm fine bottoming for now, but I want to do it at some point, obviously" he replied. I smirked.

"Good for you, now…" I pulled him crushingly close and kissed him roughly, pushing him into the bedroom and onto the bed. "Let's get down to business" I said cockily. I stripped off my vest and undid my belt clasp. Natsu pulled off his own waistcoat and we both threw the items of clothing to the ground in little piles. Natsu sidled further up the bed whilst I climbed on top of him. I kissed his jawline, and as I did so he went to pull off his ever-present scarf. I noticed this and stopped him with a grip to his wrist. "Don't… take it off Natsu, leave it… for me…" I asked. Natsu smirked back at me.

"Sure, it's weird if I like to see you with a cat head but its fine if you want me to keep my scarf on…" he said sarcastically. I kissed his cheek and brought my mouth to his ear.

"I might wear that next time, if your good…" I whispered lustfully, causing Natsu to shiver with want. He began trailing kisses along my neck and down my exposed torso. In return I began groping his body and running my hand over those perfect muscles.

"St-ting…" Natsu moaned out a little. I could feel my hardened member pressing into his side as he crept lower and lower with his mouth. As he descended lower I could feel his hands at my waist, tugging slightly at my trousers. I slid my hands down to reach his waist. "Do it Natsu" I commanded. He obeyed, pulling my trousers down around my knees, before I kicked them off completely. In return I slid Natsu's off and threw them away, once more savoring the image of Natsu before me.

He was still as perfect now as that first time, with that muscular body, smirking, cocky grin, and beautiful pink hair. I couldn't resist and found myself stroking my hand through those pink locks as we kissed deeply. Our tongues clashed, however I took my role as the dominant in this endeavor. Naturally, Natsu expected this and began becoming a bit more submissive in the kiss. Once we were forced apart, breathless, panting and horny as hell I found Natsu's gaze begin to drift lower. "I wanna… taste you" he said panting a little. I felt his hands grip my sides and soon found that Natsu had reversed things a little, with him laying on top of me. "You _really_ want to, do you?" I asked needlessly. Natsu nodded vigorously, before kissing me. I pulled him in and deepened the kiss a little, before he began focusing on other things. His hand, which like the rest of him emanated heat, closed around my member, causing me to yelp a little in pleasure. I could see from my vantage above Natsu grinning as he got lower and lower, until he stopped at my cock, mouth hovering tantalizingly close to the tip. I suddenly found myself wanting him to close that distance and envelope it in his hot and perfect mouth. He looked straight up at me and, not breaking eye contact, began taking the hard cock into his willing mouth.

He, more expertly than last time, took it in, down to the base where his hand held it firm, before removing his hand and taking in the full length. I moaned uncontrollably, the need building from my lack of release earlier making this feel incredibly good. "Fuck… Ngh, N-Natsu…" I gasped out as I felt waves of pleasure build up and begin to take over my body. My hands buried themselves in bunches of his pink hair as he moved with a tauntingly slow rhythm. I felt myself, driven by my want and nothing else, push him to a faster rhythm, which he gladly refused. Still maintaining a slower pace, he tortured me with licks, flicks and sucks, being as noisy as he could in the process. "Natsu…" I moaned whiningly, hoping this would encourage him to speed up. He complied a little, increasing his pace somewhat, but not enough. "Natsuuu…" I whined once more. A grinning Natsu sucked and flicked my head with his tongue, but did not increase his pace again. He eventually took it out of his mouth for only a brief moment to speak. "Why ruin all the fun so quickly Sting?" he said with a mocking tone. I glared at him as he resumed sucking me off.

"Nghn…" I moaned in complacency. Natsu's tone just made this feel so much better for some reason, although eventually I felt myself reach the edge. "Nat-su…" I cried out, he quickly figured what I was going to say, "C-coming…" I moaned out. Natsu swallowed as much of my seed as he could, however a small volume escaped him. Once I was finished coming he moved further up, lying beside me. "That… was great…" I said, "Your mouth is so fucking hot". Natsu was still grinning.

"Your fire dragon has a 'hot' mouth, wonder why?" he said cockily. I wanted to hit him but ended up kissing him instead. I ran my tongue along his chin, taking in the dribble of cum which he had let escape his mouth, before resuming our kiss. I could taste my seed in his mouth and felt my member twitch a little. Thinking about that made me notice something which honestly should have been obvious to me by now. Natsu hadn't come yet. "Err… Natsu… do you want me to-?" he shook his head.

"Call this repayment for earlier" he said cuddling up close to me, "It's late and I'm a little tired". I embraced him warmly, tiredness tugging at my eyes also as I felt the delicious heat his body irradiated. He wiggled away for a second to pull the crumpled covers over us before resuming his position. "G'night Sting…" he said. I rested my head next to his, taking in his scent and heat. I soon fell to sleep with Natsu snoring beside me.

 **End of Chapter 18**


	19. Chapter 19 - One More Day

**Chapter 19 – One More Day**

 **Natsu POV**

Morning. I awoke to find light filtering through the windows, the image of peaceful forest outside. It was a pleasant morning as I observed Sting, still sleeping, in the fetal position beside me. _He normally wakes me; this is a… pleasant change_ I thought as I observed his sleeping form. Since it was true that he was always the one to wake before me I had never gotten the opportunity to see him asleep. I watched, transfixed by the rise and fall of the muscles on his chest. His face was as beautiful as ever, even if those deep blue eyes weren't staring back I still loved them. _I can't believe I was so afraid of coming back here… with him here now it seems to have been worth it though_ I thought as my hand closed the distance between us _._ Sting murmured something and shifted a little. I smirked watching this, _He's so defenseless and cute when he sleeps, but he still looks so… perfect_ I noted. I placed my hand on his cheek, enjoying the feeling of his skin, hair and face under my palm and fingers. For some reason his skin felt softer than normal. _I wish I could wake up to this every day_ … I felt myself grin, that thought alone was enough to put me in high spirits for the rest of the day, _but in order to do that we'd have to…_ I subconsciously gulped.

 _Mate._

The word stuck inside my head. Since that first mention of it with Wendy and Gajeel I couldn't help but have it ever present in my subconscious. This idea that me and Sting could be mated _forever_ both thrilled and terrified me. It frightened me even more than having to come back here after everything that happened. But no matter how it had happened I found I could do nothing but feel relief for Sting's strength and conviction in forcing me back to face the lingering fears I had held on to. _I have to hope I'll have the same strength and conviction to ask him about this…_ I stated to myself, a warm glow filling my chest as I thought of what Sting had done for me the night before.

Sting moved again, stirring under my hand. Somewhat regretfully I decided to let him sleep and retracted my hand, carefully getting up and out of the bed without disturbing him. "Good morning Sting…" I whispered.

"Good morning Natsu" a voice sounded behind me. It was Happy. "Did you sl- oh… am I disturbing?" Happy said as he entered the room, noting Sting's sleeping form on the bed and reverting to a quieter tone. I shook my head with a finger to my lips for quiet and pointed downstairs. Happy nodded and turned to go to the lower rooms, I got changed and followed him.

Once we were downstairs and I made sure Sting wouldn't be woken up by our talking I bowed my head apologetically at Happy. "Sorry about that Happy," I began, "We had just had a date last night and well we-" I was cut short as Happy shook his head violently.

"Eww Natsu, I don't need to know _what_ you two were doing, so long as I don't _see_ it I don't care". I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. Happy had been a bit more defensive about me and Sting having our _fun_ after he had overheard us in the shower a little while ago. "Alright, but what did you come in for?" I asked, trying to avoid that topic with my buddy and get onto a less awkward one.

"Oh, well… I was wondering why you had been avoiding coming back?" the blue exceed said bluntly. I cocked my head.

"You noticed?" I said, searching for confirmation. Happy nodded.

"Yeah, you hadn't been back all day and you had left some of your stuff here in a hurry without bothering to deal with it so… I guessed, especially after what happened here with Sting and those weird guys." My eyes went downcast at the prompted memory.

"Yeah… about that. You see, after the attack, and what happened with me and Sting on our job I became scared for him, and then… I found I became too afraid to come back here in case those weird mages were here and attacked me, or even worse… Sting." I admitted heavily. Happy purred with sympathy.

"Natsu, I know you and Sting have had some hard times… and I know you've been through a lot, and I _know_ you care for him… but you've got to face your fears head on, just like you would normally when Sting isn't involved with everything you do." I grinned at my best buddy's maturity, noting the common theme between what he had said now and what Sting told me last night.

"Your right Happy" I said, directing my grin at him.

"Of course, what do you expect Natsu? I'm always right" Happy said cockily, floating up to be at eye level with me.

"I meant your right because Sting said the same thing yesterday." I corrected Happy. He pouted mockingly. I continued unhindered by his mocking face "He said that he loved me and _had_ to get me to face my fears" Happy nodded, "And then he said some more _interesting_ stuff whilst we were-" Happy cried out as I deliberately took a more disgusting turn.

"Ewww… no Natsu," he said shaking his head vigorously, "I don't need to know that". I smirked, amused by Happy's reaction.

My amusement was broken by the sound of the creaking by the stairs. "Oh, you're down here" Sting said, relief obvious on his features, "and Happy's here too" he said more awkwardly as he noticed the exceed. I smiled as I watched him retreat up the stairs a little, until just his head became visible.

"Sting, I know you might have woken up _desperate_ to see me, and sorry if you were afraid because I wasn't there," I commented on his expression "but it might have been a good idea to put some clothes on first." My tone taking on a devilish implication whilst Happy squealed, paws covering his eyes. He hadn't turned around and now did not want to. This caused me to laugh quite hard, whilst Sting blushed a good few shades red and chuckled uncomfortably.

"I'll be right back" he said, bolting back up to my room. I patted my exceed buddy on the head.

"Sorry about that Happy…" I apologized for Sting.

/

 **Sting POV**

I awoke to find the room colder than normal. When I rolled over my eyes grew wide, taking in the significant lack of Fire Dragon Slayer beside me. I panicked momentarily, wondering if he had run off, or worse… if those creepy wizards from before had taken him away. "Natsu…" I called out fearfully. When no reply came I shot out of bed and to the landing. Natsu's clothes, I noticed, were also absent, which made me worry even more. _If he's been taken because I brought him here I'll never be able to forgive myself…_ I thought as in my panic I heard noises, muffled but audible, coming from downstairs. I immediately crept down the stairs, listening intently, ready for a fight if I needed to. My face was drawn, however when I identified Natsu's laughter I allowed my expression to soften a little. I reached the middle of the stairs, only to find Natsu standing taking. _Is he talking to himself_ I wondered as I crept a little lower. The stairs creaked and Natsu whirled around. He seemed unharmed and unafraid so I allowed relief to overtake me. "Oh, you're down here" I said pleasantly, noting the relief that was evident in my own tones. Natsu smirked and then I noticed the blue exceed floating behind him. _Fuck…_ I thought, retreating up the stairs a bit, totally embarrassed "and Happy's here too" I said tone quickly becoming awkward. This, I noted, made Natsu grin wider.

"Sting, I know you might have woken up _desperate_ to see me, and sorry if you were afraid because I wasn't there," Natsu said. _So he noticed my expression change then_ I thought. He continued, "but it might have been a good idea to put some clothes on first." At this I heard Happy cry out. Thankfully it would seem the blue exceed hadn't turned around to see me standing naked.

"I'll be right back" I stated, feet carrying me flying up the stairs.

I reached Natsu's room and let out a huge sigh. "Why did I worry about him?" I asked myself as I picked up my clothes that were strewn about the floor. "I mean… he's Natsu, he can take care of himself" I said, as I slipped my underwear and trousers back on, "I know that I'm _allowed_ to be worried for him since he's my boyfriend and all but… wait…" The thought hit me suddenly. Me and Natsu had agreed to talk about our 'relationship status' but I now realised we never had. _We admitted to Makarov and the others that we were 'together' but we never said that we were 'boyfriends'_ I thought suddenly, _I'm going to have to ask him this_ …

I put on my final pieces of clothing and once more returned downstairs. Natsu was now in the kitchen, cooking some form of breakfast for the pair of us I guessed. Happy was pouting on a cushion on his own chair at the table. "Sorry about that Happy…" I said apologetically as I approached the table. Happy cocked his head.

"Why would you need to be sorry, you were frightened for Natsu not being there and came downstairs, right?" he asked, a slight smile on his feline face. I nodded. "So what's wrong with that… I know that if you knew I was here you wouldn't have just left like _that_ " he smirked wider.

"Yeah, if I thought you were here I wouldn't have" I agreed. Happy nodded. After a few more minutes Natsu appeared, carrying twin plates.

"Here, eat up… we haven't got much in though" he said, taking a seat opposite me. Happy produced a fish and began nibbling on it, I didn't question where he took that from. The meal itself was simplistic, some toast, some bacon, and a little bit of green, unidentifiable vegetable on the side.

I ate in silence, my thoughts now spiraling into new realms as I considered outright asking Natsu about our relationship, but refraining out of… _what is stopping me?_ Natsu seemed content with the quiet however I noticed he was smiling. Wanting to know what the joke was I decided to pursue it. "What's so amusing my little dragon?" I asked, seeing if he would respond to that nickname in front of Happy. He didn't seem to mind as he directed his smile towards me.

"Oh… _nothing_ …" he said suspiciously.

"Really? You just grin like an idiot about nothing" I retorted sarcastically. Suddenly I heard Happy giggle.

" _That's_ what he calls you Natsu?" he barked out, "his _little dragon_ ". Natsu bonked his partner on the head.

"Shut it Happy… I like it alright" This sent Happy giggling like a school girl. I smirked at Natsu, amused.

"Don't you start Sting..." he whined. I reached over and brushed my thumb across his knuckles.

"It's fine, if you tell me what _you_ were smiling about before… _my little dragooooon"_ I said, emphasizing the nickname to make him blush a pleasant pink. Happy laughed harder, almost falling off his cushion.

"That's priceless…" he gasped. I felt like hitting the cat too, but refrained.

"Tell me Natsu…" I pleaded. Natsu allowed his shoulders to sag a bit in defeat, however this did not last as he grinned wider and wider.

"Alright" he said, "I was thinking that… well you came down here because you were afraid, yet you didn't bother to put on clothes… so, I was wondering if you'd have fought _naked_ if there _had_ been an intruder". I groaned as Happy began laughing for a whole new reason. Natsu joined in and suddenly I wondered if I could disappear into thin air.

"W-well Natsu…" I stuttered, before a grin formed on my features, "It wouldn't have been the first time". This stunned the pair into silence.

"What?" Natsu burst out. I blushed.

"I said it wouldn't have been the first time… when I was in a town a while ago I was attacked by this dark wizard during the night and well… stuff happened" Natsu nodded as his grin re-emerged.

"Really?" he squeaked. I nodded in confirmation. "Well… at least I know that I'll be safe around _you_ if we're attacked at night" he commented "You don't let anything stop you from fighting". I just looked down and resumed eating.

"Neither do you Natsu" Happy said, laugh intensifying. I smirked as Natsu scowled at Happy.

Happy slowly died of oxygen deprivation on the floor, breakfast forlorn.

/

After breakfast we left for the guildhall. "I've got the job with Wendy today" I said to Natsu, as we started down the forest path. He seemed a lot calmer walking along with me now than he was last night. I sent a thankful thought to whatever deities there may be that he was able to get over his fear. "Yeah, I know it's with Wendy, I spoke to her a bit before our date yesterday" Natsu said. He took my hand and interlocked our fingers.

"You know if we get caught Natsu…" I said. He smiled broadly, although that was nothing new this morning. After our… discussion, at breakfast, he hadn't stopped grinning, smirking and smiling all morning. "Who cares? Do you _not_ want us to walk like this?" he inquired with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Nah… it's just, are you sure you wouldn't care?" I responded. Natsu shook his head. We then noted that Happy had flown a greater distance ahead, calling back to us.

"Hey you two," he shouted, "I'm going on ahead, alright?" We both nodded in unison and off the flying feline went. A thought occurred to me; _We're alone… I could ask him…_

I stopped and wrenched Natsu beside me to a halt. "Hey Natsu… since we're alone I wanted to ask you something…" I said.

Natsu cocked his head to the side. "What is it Sting? Is something wrong?" he seemed genuinely concerned.

"No, there's nothing _wrong_ … It's just, do you remember our first date?" Natsu nodded vigorously.

"How could I forget it Sting?" he said. I smiled, _why would I need to ask that_?

"W-well, remember when we were tricked by Mira and Lisanna… we sat by the river together and then I asked you-" Natsu's face distorted in thought.

"Oh…" he said, remembering, "We agreed to discuss our relationship _after_ that night, right?" I nodded.

"It occurred to me this morning that we never _actually_ discussed it… and well, I just wanted to ask you… what do _you_ want to call us?" I took Natsu's other hand and interlocked our fingers in that one to leave us standing closely face-to-face.

"Well… Sting, before I answer that can I ask you something too… I know we've discussed it and that we agreed to take things 'one step at a time' but I just can't stop thinking about us being… Mates". I pulled Natsu closer to me and realised that he must have been thinking like me for a while now too.

"Right… well… about us being Mates I have to say that yes… I would like to think that we _could_ be Mates in the future, just not right now with us being in different guilds and all… but… does that bother you?" Natsu shook his head.

"I know all that, it makes me happy to think that you and me both agree we can be mated later in our lives, and as for our current relationship well… I've heard a lot of people call us _boyfriends_ so, does that sound good to you?" I smiled broadly.

"Fine with me Natsu" I said, placing a light kiss on his lips.

"Good, now… let's get to the guild, Happy will wonder where we got to if we hang around here anymore." I smiled brightly as Natsu lead me by the hand. _He calls us boyfriends…_ I thought as we trudged on, _Just like I thought…_

/

We reached the guild in a short while. Natsu decided to take me on a tour of Magnolia's emptiest streets, just so he could hold my hand as we walked along. When we arrived on the street leading up to the guild he begrudgingly let go. "Come on Natsu…" I had had to plead before he let his grasp lessen.

Upon entering the guild, we were once again met with a familiar sight. Titania Erza stood awaiting us, this time with a slight smile on her face. "Hello you two," she greeted us, "How are you this morning Master Sting?". I nodded before answering.

"I'm fine, nothing for me to worry about" I replied. Natsu had instinctively grabbed my arm for protection as he saw Erza. I had to shake him off. "Remember where we are Natsu" I whispered. He gulped and nodded.

"Is the Master waiting for me?" I asked Erza. She nodded.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to speak to Natsu for a moment. Happy would too" she said, gesturing with the nod of her head to a direction in which Gray, Lucy and Happy all sat watching us.

"Okay, I'll be going then… good bye for now Natsu" I said, marching off to Makarov's office.

Upon arriving at the office I knocked and entered at Makarov's behest. "Good morning Master Sting" he said pleasantly.

"Good morning Master Makarov" I replied, equally as pleasantly. "Wendy's job is last today?"

Makarov nodded, "Yes it is, and as you requested I've situated it later in the day". I nodded in response and Makarov continued. "The Magic Council hasn't sent me any more news about those two assailants, however I would like to ask, have you told Natsu yet?". I shook my head immediately.

"No… we had some stuff on last night and he was having a bit of a hard time. He had become afraid to go to his house because of what happened so I spent the night helping him get over his fear. After all that it didn't seem like a good idea to go telling him _that particular news_ yet" I said truthfully. Makarov smiled.

"You're a kind soul Sting, helping Natsu through his fears, however we will have to tell him at some point I think" the old man said. I agreed.

"Yes… on another topic though I would like to make a request." Makarov's face distorted in mild confusion, it was an odd look for such a wise man.

"What would you need?" he replied.

"Um… well… I leave after tomorrow for Sabertooth and you're scheduled to come on your inspection a few days after that so… Me and Natsu kinda wanted to ask if you would let him come as a 'bodyguard'" My shoulders sagged and Makarov chuckled lightly.

"You want Natsu to visit you over there and thought you could use this 'threat of attack' to your advantage, yes?" Makarov inquired. I nodded solemnly. He patted me on the shoulder with a grown hand and arm. "Of course I will let him come, plus the threat _is_ real and Natsu's presence _may_ help us lure those blasted dark mages out". I smiled broadly.

"Thank you sir…" I bowed slightly.

"No need for thanks, now… I trust you will go tell Natsu the news of your little plan" I nodded getting up to leave. Before I completely left Makarov spoke up once more. "Your job with Wendy was scheduled for 3PM, is that okay?".

"Perfect length of time to have a chat with Natsu" I replied, bidding Makarov a good day.

 _I've got two things to have to worry about now_ I thought as I walked down the now familiar corridor, _Firstly, tell Natsu that our plan is a 'go'… and secondly, inform him about the risk that pair possesses_ …

/

 **Natsu POV**

As Sting left Erza directed me towards my team and guildmates. "Sit down Natsu" she instructed, gesturing to the seat beside Lucy. I did so, but with a slight pouted which one glare from Erza immediately removed. "We've got a job we need you for" the Requip mage said, straight to the point, "But we know that you and Sting have only a little time left, so we hoped to ask you if this was okay". I smiled at the touching sentiment in Erza's words.

"Thank you…" I said, although my pleasant tone gave way to one of a little sadness at Erza's reminder. This made Lucy purr slightly.

"Awww… Natsu, it's okay" she said with a smile. Gray wasn't so pleasant and just smirked.

"Right…" I began, "Well… when Sting comes back we'll see how much time we've got, but I think he'd want me to go because we've been discussing how much time I spend hanging around waiting for him which I could be putting to better use" I said with confidence, this seemed to pacify the group. Happy flew over and landed in front of me.

"Here's the flyer, I picked it myself" the exceed informed me. I took it and scanned over the contents. It seemed alright and I handed it back to him with a smile. He rolled it up and stored it away in his little backpack.

"Good that you see how precious your time is and how you should be spending it wisely" Erza stated with a curt nod of her head. I smiled at her unusual, slightly frightening, pleasantness as Gray pointed somewhere over my shoulder.

"Look, here's Sting now" Gray commented. I turned around to face the corridor as Sting walked over to us.

"Hey, guys… what's up?" he greeted. I smiled.

"They've got a job for me" I said, "Like we said last night… do you want me to go on it or…?" I left it up to him. He smirked.

"Good that you're getting work, but my job with Wendy isn't scheduled until 3PM, can you wait for that long?" he directed this last part at Erza.

"Sure we can" she replied with a knowing smile. Lucy went mushy faced and I sent a slight glare at her to remind her that me and Sting want to continue being discrete. This hardened her features a little. "We'll leave you two alone" Lucy said. Gray went to protest, however Erza dragged him away by the scruff of his neck. "Come on Erza…" he whined. I smirked at him as he scowled back at me.

"Now… can we go for a walk Natsu?" Sting asked. I cocked my head.

"Where to?" I asked. Sting shrugged.

"I don't really mind; however, I need to talk to you in private" he said. I looked closely at his eyes, however he gave nothing away. I shrugged as well.

"We could go to the woods?" I suggested. He nodded in agreement, however before we left Mirajane came over.

"Hello you two," she began. _Typically obsessed with other's business_ I thought whilst giving her a polite smile. "I just wanted to pass on a message to Sting. Wendy requested that you meet her for her job at the train station, okay?" Sting nodded.

"Alright… although I really don't want to go by train" Sting admitted. I smiled, it was fun to see I'm not the only one sickened by vehicles. "Do you need anything else Mira, because me and Natsu have some stuff to sort out." Sting asked the Wizard. She smiled brighter than before.

"Well… Lisanna just wanted to ask… if you two have been through town _holding hands_ for any particular reason" Mira chuckled as Sting jaw dropped and I winced a little.

"She saw?" I asked. Mira nodded.

"Lisanna said she was just coming from the market to here this morning, when she saw through one of the streets that you two were sneaking around holding hands". I nodded in understanding.

"Thanks Mira, we'll be more careful from now on" I said. She nodded and began moving off to the cry of assistance from another guild wizard. Once she was gone Sting glared a little at me.

"I thought you said we _could_ get caught down those abandoned streets" he accused. I pouted.

"It was only Lisanna" I said defensively, "wouldn't surprise me if she followed us down there". Sting smirked at my comment.

"True he said… now, should we leave?" he asked. I smiled and nodded. We got up and left the guild hall, getting a few glances from wizards as we left together. _Those rumors must be getting worse_ … I thought silently _No point telling Sting this, it'll only worry him more_ …

/

We walked in a comfortable silence as we neared the forest I intended to take Sting. There was a glade situated a little distance in the east forest which I sometimes used to train skills which I didn't want others to see me using, since no-one had come there to find me as of yet I figured it'd be the perfect place to be alone. Sting seemed to be thinking quite hard about something, however I decided to wait to get to our destination before I pressed him on it.

Once we were deep enough into the forest I shuffled a little closer to Sting and interlocked our fingers. This seemed to pull him from his thoughts as he looked at me with a flicker of a smile. I smiled back and we continued on in a more intimate, but still comfortable, silence. Eventually we came upon the glade and as I stopped I noticed Sting kept walking a few steps more before finally realising he was ahead of me. "Sorry about that…" he apologized. I smirked and caught up with him so I was standing face-to-face with him.

"No need to apologise, but seriously… what's up?" I asked. Sting looked into my eyes before answering. I suddenly found myself gazing into the beautiful blue depths and immediately became distracted.

"Natsu," Sting began, snapping my attention back to him, "I've got some news… Makarov has accepted our 'plan' for you to go with him to Sabertooth" he said. I smiled, but my face soon changed into the picture of confusion.

"Alright. That's good, but why has that distracted you so much?" I asked. He avoided my question, going silent and altering his gaze to the scenery.

"It's nice here" he commented. I shook my head. _He's not going to tell me yet_ I thought, stating very much the obvious. I gestured to a tree a little way ahead of us. I walked over to it with him in hand and we sat down against it. "This brings back a few memories" Sting said. I patted him on the shoulder.

"It wasn't that long ago you were still in that doctor's bed" I said. He smiled.

"Yeah, it's been quite a wild ride these last few weeks" he replied. I smiled broader.

"Yup… so… we've only got two days left, and then some…" I said, resting my head on his shoulder. He untangled our fingers and went to wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah, but don't worry… I'm sure we can visit often. I can always arrange some _meetings_ with Makarov, or even for you to come to Sabertooth for _assistance_ in some more difficult jobs. You'd have to work, sure, but at least we can spend some lengths of time together." Sting said reassuringly. I nuzzled closer into his neck and shoulder.

"Yeah…" I agreed, "Plus I can visit after some 'nearby' jobs, Sabertooth isn't that far away from us, right? Just a short walk" I said happily. This seemed to put Sting in a more cheerful mood. _If he's happier he might tell me what else is bothering him_ … I thought.

"Right. This won't be too difficult" Sting said.

"Right" I agreed. He threaded his fingers through my hair, rubbing small, pleasant circles into my scalp. I purred a little.

"Like that?" He commented sweetly. I nodded but did not speak. "You're so adorable my little dragon" he said. I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Shut it. Dragons aren't adorable… they're fierce" I said, however the almost feline purring sounds I made disagreed. _Damn it this feels so nice…_

"N-Natsu… I just wanted to say that, well, I may not have much time with you left for a few days but I love you all the same. And I know at some point in the future… the not _too_ distant future I hope, we can be Mates and have all the fun that entails, alright?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I hope for that too" I agreed. Sting rested his head on the back of mine and breathed in a little. It always made me feel so warm inside when Sting took in my scent, whether he did it subconsciously or consciously; it satisfies some deep, primal Dragon Slayer sense.

Without realising it I felt my eyelids flutter closed as a little sleep tugged me into its embrace. _I still need to… to ask him…_ My sleepy mind reminded me, before failing to wake me completely.

/

 **Sting POV**

It was around 12 noon, I think, when I realised I must have dosed off. Natsu was sound asleep, cuddled up to me, still lying against the tree. "Damn it…" I yawned, "I hope no-one saw us". I played with Natsu's hair a little as I drifted off into thought. _Should I tell him about those two now… or before I go. If I do it now, he might start acting funny but if I do it before I go… who knows how he'll react without me there_. _Damn this is too difficult a decision_ …

Natsu stirred underneath me. "S-Sting… don't wanna…" he muttered. I observed his sleeping form, wondering what he was dreaming about me whilst noting the still child-like appearance he wore despite his age. He may be muscular and broader of shoulder, however his face still had that subtle roundness which gave him a more boyish appearance. _I love that face… his eyes… his body... I just love Natsu Dragneel_ I monologue internally. I allowed myself to take in his scent one more time. Still as hot, and spicy and… almost fiery in its odor, perfect for the Fire Dragon Slayer. I found myself intoxicated. "I have to tell him now…" I whispered the conclusion to myself.

"Tell me what…" Natsu mumbled, rubbing his eyes but not getting up.

"Good afternoon sleepy head" I commented, stroking his cheek with my thumb.

"Tell me what?" Natsu repeated.

I rolled my eyes. "That I love you, idiot" I said, an obvious lie, even to me.

"Not that" Natsu pouted, "You wanted to speak privately, you came with me all the way out here, there is something bugging you Sting" he said, concern deep-set in his tone.

"W-well, Natsu… damn it, when did you become so good at reading people?" I said, a last, and frankly quite desperate, attempt at distraction. It failed.

"Since I figured that I loved you" he said knowingly, "What's up?". I allowed my shoulders to sag a bit and I leaned further against his now sitting form.

"Well… I didn't know if I should tell you this now or tomorrow but… those guys who attacked us," this sent Natsu into a glare, face contorted in a fury which I could tell he was trying to control, I decided to continue before he could do or say anything, "The Magic Council sent Makarov their file on them and that Phantasm guy. Seems he's got quite a nasty reputation… however those two have been recorded to have attacked many wizards and the such like who have come into contact with him before. 46 casualties, only 2 survivors" I said this last statistic with regret, knowing full well it might be the trigger to send Natsu over the edge. He was surprisingly quite. When he did speak it was barely a whisper.

"Two survivors?... as in…" I nodded in response to his unvoiced question.

"Us" I said. Natsu rested his head back on my shoulder, however this time I noticed he was trembling.

"I'm so sorry Sting" he said, "I should have done better to beat him the first time, when I had the chance". I wrapped both arms around his shoulders whilst he clutched at my waist.

"It's okay Natsu…" I said, rubbing those circles into his scalp with one hand, "It's okay, we're fine and there's nothing to worry about. He hasn't been seen in a while so we might be safe" I said, with as much false confidence as I could muster. _Those reports tell a different story_ …

Natsu looked deep into my eyes, not for the first time today. "Sting… I'm gonna be okay… I know that you may not have wanted to tell me this but… thank you… it shows you care enough about me to tell me of the danger…" I smiled, _his confidence hasn't wavered then_ I noted.

We sat for a bit longer. Natsu requested a few pieces of information about our aggressors, which I reluctantly told him, however aside from that it was silence.

/

We returned to the guild in time for 3PM. Natsu's team was waiting for us, despite the early time of 2:40PM. "Natsu, Sting" Gray called out to get our attention as we walked along the street leading to the guild. We rushed over to them.

"Do you mind if we leave now, Sting?" Erza asked me. Natsu flicked his vision to me and I smiled.

"Sure you can, if Natsu's ready" I replied. Natsu, who had been pretty quiet on our walk back to the guild smiled weakly.

"Yeah, I'm ready" he said. Happy flew over from the guild carrying Natsu's regular backpack.

"Here, I made this for you Natsu" he said, plonking it on the ground by Natsu's feet. Natsu rubbed his head.

"Thanks little buddy" he said as Erza got his attention. Whilst he was distracted by Erza relaying the details over him I pulled Lucy aside.

"Lucy, I have a favor to ask" I whispered. She whispered back, knowing I obviously wanted to keep this quiet.

"What is it Sting? Is something wrong with Natsu?" the blonde asked discreetly.

"No, nothing's wrong with him, _yet_ …" I put as much emphasis on the word as I could "but I just told him some 'top secret' news and I'm afraid he'll go on a rampage if he's angry enough, could you keep an eye on him?" I requested. She smiled and nodded.

"Sure, do you want me to tell Erza and Gray this too?" she replied. I nodded.

"If Natsu goes on a full rampage it may take all three of you to stop him" I commented. She nodded with a smirk.

"True" she responded before returning her attention to her guildmates. After this we watched with vague amusement as Natsu had to have explained to him the details of the job four consecutive times before I eventually stepped in and simplified things for him.

 _This is gonna be painful if he's this riled up before he even goes on the job_ I thought as I bid them good luck on their job and saw them off. As I turned to get ready to meet Wendy I was surprised to find her standing at the guildhall main doors. She waved.

"I was about to leave myself, when I saw you and the others, are you ready to go?" she asked politely. I noticed Carla was absent and smiled.

"Yeah, is Carla not coming too?" I asked whilst letting Wendy take the lead. She shook her head.

"It's just us two" she smiled, gesturing for us to walk and we set off on her job. _Last one… just one more day after this_ … I thought as I took a last look at Fairy Tail guild hall.

 _Only one more day_ …

 **End of Chapter 19**


	20. Chapter 20 - An Unwelcome Guest

**Chapter 20 – An Unwelcome Guest**

 **Sting POV**

I returned to Fairy Tail around 10PM. The job with Wendy had went smoothly… well, mostly. The actual parameters of the job were no problem, in fact with Wendy's abilities it was significantly easier than expected. All she had to do was find the source of this weird curse which was afflicting a small group of children in a town about half and hours train ride from Magnolia. Upon arriving we found that it was pretty straight forward for Wendy's Sky Dragon Slayer powers to heal up the afflictions, mainly odd (like…purple and bright pink) colorations of the skin, and then we found that it was down to some magical fungus which grew in the nearby woods the children had gone into without permission. I smiled with amusement as Wendy, not much older than them herself, lectured the group on the dangers of interacting with plants which they did not know would affect them, then we set off back to the guild. It was on the way back, however, that I noticed Wendy had been smiling whilst giving me sideways glances. I had, admittedly, been staring out of the window, my thoughts focused more on a certain individual.

Eventually I wondered what she had to say. "What is it Wendy?" I asked politely, already guessing at what she was going to say.

"Um… Your thinking about him, aren't you Sting?" She said in reply, a broad smile on her face. I sighed.

"Yeah," I admitted, "I've just been wondering something about him…". She cocked her head to the side. That made me think of Natsu even more, he often did that when he was confused or wanted more information too.

"I think it's odd for you…" she stopped herself. I looked at her oddly.

"Why…" I whispered, "Because we're gay?" I genuinely wanted to know her opinion.

"No, not that" she shook her head for emphasis, "I don't care what you two are, you're my friends after all, no… I just think it's odd for you, the _big strong White Dragon Slayer_ to be staring off into space and worrying about Natsu like that… it's kinda cute" she smirked. I could feel an involuntary blush rising in my cheeks.

"You think it's cute…" I parroted. She nodded.

"Yeah, but I do have something to ask… if you don't mind" she sounded unsure, so I smiled to reassure her.

"I'm sure its fine, fire away" I replied. She smiled a little more confidently.

"Well, do you think you two could be…" she leant in and whispered so quietly I myself could barely hear her. "Mates".

I looked at her for a minute, caught off guard by her question, before remembering that she herself will have been taught about this as a child of a dragon. I nodded. "We've _discussed_ it" I said, "But we don't think we can go through all that what with us being in different guilds… _yet_ ". Wendy pouted, an odd look for such a smiley girl.

"I think it's sad you two have to be kept apart… but I'm not going to pry. It's your choice." She replied. I felt genuinely touched by her admission and almost felt like kissing her on her forehead for her show of affection, however I refrained. Instead I just patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry about us, we'll figure it all out" I said confidently. She returned the smile and nodded, then we spent the remainder of the journey in peaceful quiet, as my thoughts drifted once again to the pink-head who was out on a job somewhere.

 _I hope he hasn't gone on a rampage_ … I silently prayed as I observed the scenery flick by. I was grateful to be able to watch this since Wendy used her magic to cure my motion sickness, albeit only temporarily. _Now I know why Natsu wanted me to ask her to do this_ I thought, realising he had my best interests at heart always, even for simple things like this.

/

Upon reentering the guild hall, I saw Makarov sitting at the bar, the only place besides his office he ever seemed to be. I approached him and sat on the barstool next to him. "I just got back" I stated. He nodded, obviously a little tipsy from a bit-too-much alcohol.

"Yeah, I figured, has Wendy gone home?" I nodded. She had decided she needed to go see if Carla was 'doing okay', although I suspect she wanted to make sure I could be alone with Natsu.

"The job was even easier than I expected, she healed them up and figured out the problem pretty fast, considering her inexperience on her own and her seeming lack of self-confidence" I reported, knowing Makarov wouldn't probably want a formal report until tomorrow. Makarov eyed me for a moment before speaking.

"That's the last one…" he said. I nodded.

"Yeah, is Natsu back from his job?" I asked the elder Guild Master. He nodded with a knowing smile.

"He got back only a few moments ago, asked if Mira or me could pass on a message for you to meet him 'in the best place in Magnolia'". I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"No other details?" I questioned. Makarov shook his head so I bowed and got up to leave. "Alright then, guess I've gotta hunt him down" I said as I left. Makarov bid me a 'good hunting' before resuming his drinking. _The best place in Magnolia?_ I thought about it. Natsu wasn't the type for cryptic clues usually so it must be somewhere pretty easy to guess. I began to run through a list of places. _His house? My room? Or even…_ The idea hit me suddenly and I figured it was a good place to start. _The cherry blossom trees in west gate park_.

I marched off in search of my once again wayward Fire Dragon Slayer.

/

I reached the park and entered, sniffing the air. There was certainly a familiar scent present, however I couldn't identify whether it was Natsu because of all the flowers. _Guess I'll have to wander around a bit and see if I can find him_ I thought as I trudged along the starlit park. Eventually I came upon the same tree Natsu had taken me to for our first date. There was no sign of him though. I stared at the place, transfixed in memory. Images filtered through my mind; that night, with the lacrima, and the rainbow light, and him… it was all so perfect. I felt a tap on my shoulder and whirled around to find Gray standing behind me.

"Er… hey Gray" I said, surprised, "What are you doing here at this hour?". He shrugged.

"I was looking at the flowers to see if I could recreate them with my magic, you know, a bit of training sort of…" he flicked his gaze to the surroundings. I couldn't allow myself to get distracted so I immediately returned to the task at hand.

"Have you seen Natsu?" I asked. He shrugged again, folding his arms over his chest.

"Not since we got back a little while ago, he did say that if I saw you though I had to ask for you to meet him at the 'best place in Magnolia'… whatever that means. Oh… and don't worry, he didn't go on the rampage, Lucy told us to watch him because you said so, right?". I smiled, happy that they had indeed done what I asked.

"Yeah, thanks for that". Gray shook his head.

"We couldn't let Natsu rampage anyways, bad for the guilds reputation". I nodded.

"True, I bet Erza was especially careful" I probed. He gritted his teeth, subconsciously I'd wager.

"Yeah… she said she'd 'teach us a lesson on behavior' if we messed up" he seemed to be withdrawing a bit as he said that, obviously fearful of even the memory. I decided to let him get on with whatever he was doing.

"Alright then… thank you Gray, if you see Natsu tell him to be at the guild by 12 or I'm gonna deck him". Gray smirked and went off to continue doing whatever he was doing before. _Okay, so not the park then_ I thought as I walked out back towards the guild before changing direction, _Maybe Natsu means his house then_. I set off towards Natsu's house, trying to figure out what was going through his head to do this.

/

I reached his house yet there was no evidence of Natsu here either, although his scent was lingering here. I ignored this on the principal of it being his home, however I did knock to make sure. No reply. I tried again, but still no reply.

I decided to head back to the guild. As I trudged along the forest path I noticed a strange box at the gate to Natsu and Happy's home. Finding it here was unusual, since it is so out of the way, so I decided to check it out. It was a pink box with no other defining features on it. It didn't seem to have a note, or an address so I figured I could open it. Inside there was the Natsu plushie which Natsu had gotten for me. Seeing it I realised that this was a lot more elaborate than Natsu would normally be. _The park, the house,_ this _… he's trying to do something_ I resolved. I took the plushy and held it in my hands. I squeezed it and smiled, remembering Natsu's face when he had given this to me, so full of love and hope. _Damn it, now I just want to kiss him_ … I thought. I then noticed in the bottom of the box there was a piece of paper. On it was a crude drawing (clearly Natsu's) of his face with a big smile. Seeing this sparked one last idea. _He could be there…_ I thought as I set off towards Magnolia at high speed.

/

I reached my inn room only to find it locked. I produced the key and unlocked the door. Inside it was pitch black. _If he's here I'm going to throttle him_ … I thought; all those ideas of love faded on the walk back. I wandered in and flicked the light switch. As soon as I did so my mouth dropped to the floor in shock.

All over the room was pictures of me and Natsu from different magazines, and articles and other media, however they had been tagged together into little pairs, always one with me and one with Natsu. On some of them, scrawled in big letters, was the words I LOVE STING, or LOVE, or STING AND NATSU. It was astounding.

Meandering further in I noticed a faint breathing sound from the bedroom. I followed it and found exactly what I expected. Natsu was sitting on the bed with a huge grin, holding the plushie me. "Hey Sting" he said cockily. I tried my best to scowl, but ended up smiling anyways.

"Hey Natsu, you big idiot" I replied. Natsu kept grinning as he held up my plushie.

"I finally found this thing, you had kept it well hidden in here" he said. I shook my head.

"Not hidden, I just hadn't given it too you yet like we agreed because well… I couldn't find the right words to express how I felt that I could record on that thing" I admitted. Natsu pulled me over to sit next to him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"That's fine, I don't need words from you anymore… I love you Sting" he said.

"Natsu… I think that's pretty obvious" I said, poking a thumb in the direction of the nearest couple he had put up, before kissing him lightly. "Although this… was a surprise I'll admit. Who helped you?" I asked.

"What do you mean _who helped me_ , I did all this" Natsu replied, offended. I shook my head with a wry smile on my lips.

" _You've never been one for subtle clues Natsu_ " I chuckled. He pouted.

"Fine… Lucy helped me plan this, alright?" I nodded.

"She make up that clue too? The 'best place in Magnolia'?" I asked. Natsu pouted even more at this, but he did nod. I held his chin. "Don't be like that, it's nice you even had an _idea_ like this… just like it was such a great idea of yours which you made into our first date" I said with a faint blush in my cheeks. Natsu smirked.

"It _was_ a pretty damned good night" he said proudly. "But the evening was even better" he added with a subtle chuckle. I grinned. He was even cuter now than he was back then.

"You know… I'm gonna miss having you around all the time" I said. Natsu shook his head.

"Don't say stuff like that… please" his voice cracked. I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I… I know this is our last night. And I want to make it special… but you've made it so special already…" I began. All of this was true and I had no idea how I could improve upon it any more than it was already. Well, I had _one_ idea.

"There is _one_ thing left" Natsu said slyly, whispering in my ear. I grinned as he echoed my own thoughts.

"Now?" I asked, mouth nearing his neck, voice going breathlessly lustful.

"Yeah… now" he said, "Why else would I choose to sit in the dark in _this room_ waiting for you?" a slightly cocky tone to his voice. I smirked eyes briefly scanning over the bedroom I would be sleeping in for the last time in what I inwardly hoped would be only a short while.

"Don't get so cocky, or I'll make you eat your words, _my little dragon_ " I replied, before leaping at his neck, leaving kisses up and along it. I moved lower, aiming for his shoulder. He moaned as I sunk deeper into his neck, using my teeth to leave a bite mark near his collar bone. "Fuck… stop it Sting…" Natsu pleaded, but making no move to do so himself. I pulled away briefly, if only to savor the look on his face, before resuming my assault elsewhere. I crushed our lips together, my hand moving roughly through his pink locks as he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. We briefly clashed for dominance before Natsu gave in and allowed me access to his mouth. Our tongues slid over each other, the slick muscles hungry for the touch of one another, both pushing and pressing and sliding and probing. Once my chest started to plead for oxygen I pulled away, our mouths still connected by saliva strings. "Let's just do it, alright, no funny stuff" Natsu said, panting. I pouted.

"I don't do anything _funny_ " I said defensively, "Your _supposed_ to enjoy it Natsu". He smiled and entwined his fingers in the hair on the back of my head.

"I know that… it's just that I want to have as much time with you as possible and if we mess around _too_ much then we won't get to have as much time _tomorrow_ " Natsu said with smile. I leaned in and kissed him gently this time.

"Alright pinkie, we'll do it your way" I said in a calm whisper. Natsu pulled me in for another kiss, it started gentle and slow, however began to intensify as our instincts kicked in again. I was first to break off, lapping kisses noisily down Natsu's chest. I used my palm on his stomach to apply a little pressure. He eventually got the message and lay back, snaking up the bed with me sitting on top of him. Once he had done that I could finally have a bit more fun. I began to kiss his lips once more as my hands quested over the muscular front of his body. He maintained his one hand on the back of my head, however with his other he slowly began tracing my own exposed muscles. We remained like this for a while, enjoying the feel of each other's touch, however our bodies wanted… no, craved more, and soon they could not be ignored.

Natsu was the first to break. "St-Sting…" he moaned out as I began nibbling on his earlobe, my hand going further south until it reached the tent in his pants. He grappled tightly onto my hair as I palmed his hardened cock, his involuntary moaning sending lustful shivers along my own member and down my spine. He smirked as I sat up, pulling off my vest, with him following suit not long after. We both lay shirtless as he began trailing kisses down my chest and abs, getting lower and lower, until he was at the waist of my pants. He looked up for confirmation, eyes full of want, _I can't say no to those puppy dog eyes_ I thought as I nodded for him to continue. He grinned, his face a picture of pure glee as he began tugging and pulling at my trousers until he brought them clean off my legs. I lay naked in front of him, suddenly aware that he had now taken the high ground, where I had always been previously. He swept his gaze over my body, clearly admiring the view, before he undid his belt and pulled his own pants off, throwing them aside with the other clothes.

He immediately set about sucking and licking the head of my member, green-black eyes constantly looking up at me. I kept my gaze transfixed onto those eyes, blue eyes I hoped daring him on to do more, however moaning out at what he was doing already. Eventually he stopped, looking up for one final time, eyes pleading. "Sting… do you want me to-"

"Yes Natsu, yes" I pleaded, cutting him short before he could even ask. He never needed to ask, however it set my chest aflutter at the idea that Natsu wanted to make sure I was okay with all of this. He smirked as he began to lower himself down on my cock, his mouth enveloping the head. He used his tongue to probe the sensitive areas around the top as he began to get lower and lower down the length. Once he neared the base he began to move back up, until only the head was still enveloped, before taking the length back in. He never broke eye contact once as he got himself into a steady rhythm. "Nngnn… so… hot…" I moaned out as he sucked me off. This made him smile, well as much as he could, considering what he was occupied doing. Natsu became increasingly noisier as he began to stroke his own member in time with the bobs of his head, whilst I devolved into some moaning, groaning, muttering beast, with nothing more than 'Ngnn… Natsu…' and 'F-fuck... so good...' coming out of my mouth. Natsu began moaning as he pleasured himself onehanded, his moans vibrating around my member, causing me to reach my limit.

"N-Natsu… I'm gonna… g-gonna come…" I said in warning. This set Natsu in motion, increasing the pace of his head bobs whilst ignoring his hard member. He swallowed every drop of white seed I shot into this awaiting mouth and once I was finished he took my now limp cock from his mouth with a satisfied smile. He smiled warmly as he slid up my body until his face was level with mine. "Err… Sting… did you enjoy that?" he said unsurely. I nodded.

"Of course I did Natsu, you mouth is so fucking hot" I replied, threading my hand through his hair and rubbing lightly into the scalp. He mewled, however I noticed he was still hard. I smirked as I flipped him on his back and began trailing kisses down his jawline and muscular chest. Once he realised what I was going to do he grabbed at my hair to stop me. I frowned as he made me look up at him. "What's wrong Natsu, I'm just returning the favor" I said with a slight bit of concern. He shook his head.

"Umm… Sting… I kinda wanted to ask you this tomorrow, but I don't want to wait" he said, eyes flicking about to avoid prolong eye contact. I pouted.

"What did you want to ask me?" I said patiently, not really understanding what Natsu wanted. I went back up so that we lay at eye level to each other, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in, whispering in my ear. "I kinda… wanted to ask if I could _top_ you" he said breathlessly.

I looked him in the eyes, warmth growing in my chest before my member began to reawaken at the thought. "Of course I'd let you Natsu" I said confidently, "I'd let you do whatever you wanted, I can't deny my _boyfriend_ his fun too".

He smirked as he clambered in front of me, straddling my legs before kissing me softly on the lips. His brows then furrowed. "Sting… do you have any…" he looked around the room. My eyes widened in realisation before a dark smile warped my mouth.

"Umm… well… actually yeah, there's lube in there" I pointed to the drawer in the bedside table. Natsu smirked as he took in out, before resuming his straddling position in front of me. "I kinda thought I might need it if you came over" I admitted as Natsu poured some over his fingers. He then placed them at my hole whilst he leaned in and began kissing me. I kissed him back as he slid his fingers inside. I moaned a little at the feeling. _He's finally gonna do it_ I thought as he began moving his finger in and out, _We're finally gonna be top and bottom_. For some reason I felt like this was some momentous event in our relationship, and I'm sure Natsu thought this too as he couldn't stop smiling that adorably hot smile of his. He inserted another finger and began scissoring. "S-Sting… just tell me when... I hit it" Natsu said in between kisses along my neck. I nodded, unable to find the power of speech. Eventually he looked at me with predatory eyes. I understood immediately, and aware this was his first time doing so nodded for him to begin. He removed his fingers, before lubing and subsequently lining his cock up. "Umm Sting… I'm… gonna" I smirked and cut him off.

"You need to be more confident _my little dragon_ " he nodded at the comment and pulled in close until he was right at my ear.

"Say that _again_ I _dare you_ " he said, nibbling on my earlobe a little. I mewled, running my hands down his back. He then pulled away, smirking more confidently than before. _He's so easy to 'fire up'_ I thought as he began to push into my ass. I let out a hissing moan as Natsu pushed me wide, he slowed a little as he took in the image of my face. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked, all that confidence and bluster gone in an instant. I shook my head and pulled him in close. "More…" I whispered. He nodded and thrusted in his entire length.

I let out a gasp of pleasure. He waited a moment and then, at my smile to continue, he began to pull out again. He thrust in a steady rhythm, quickly building speed. As soon as he had entered me my member had leapt to full attention, so he began stroking it in time with his thrusts. I gripped the sheets, "F-fuck… harder Natsu, f-faster…" I pleaded. He replied immediately, gaining more and more momentum, the speed of both his hips and his hand increasing. He slammed into my prostrate, causing wild moans to escape my throat. This seemed to send him close, but not enough, I, however, was once again reaching my climax. "NATSU…" I cried out as cum spurt out over my chest and his. The subsequent tightening of my ass walls, and the sight of me covered by my own seed I knew would send him over the edge too. I whited out as I had orgasmed, the only noises I could hear was the slap of flesh on flesh and the moans and pleads of Natsu before he came. "Fuc...k… St-Stin', so close" he moaned out before a final, "STING…" was cried out. His come filled me, some leaking out onto the bed, not that I really cared. Natsu rode his high until there was nothing left, then pulled out, flopping down on his belly beside me, before rolling over so we could face each other. "Tha… That… was amazing" he said happily.

I smiled warmly, the afterglow of our activity making me slightly drowsy. He wrapped me up in the covers which had been thrown around by our movements, before wrapping his own arms around me. "I've just got one more thing" he said, before moving downwards and lapping up the come on my chest. I didn't really care if he dealt with it or not since I would most likely take a shower with him tomorrow, so I just let him do his thing. "Mmm... Natsu…" I said as he slid further up one more time to lie level with me.

"What is it Sting?" he asked, embracing me with his big, strong arms, his hands entwining themselves in my hair. I couldn't resist and ended up running my hands through the hair on the back of his head. We were each smiling brightly, enjoying the love emanating off of one another. "Natsu… I love you" I said.

"I love you too Sting" he replied, leaving a soft kiss on my cheek. "Now we need to go to sleep, big day tomorrow and I want to spend as much of it with you as possible". I nodded and closed my eyes. Natsu's scent immediately lulled me into a soft and loving dream filled with images of the Fire Dragon Slayer I had arrived at Fairy Tail to befriend and ended up as a boyfriend.

/

 **The Next Morning**

I awoke early once more, the sunlight hitting my body through the slightly open window drapes. Natsu was already awake and grinning like crazy. "Good morning love" he said. I kissed him the rubbed my eyes awake.

"G'morning Natsu" I said sleepily, "How long have you been awake?".

"Not long…" he said, "It's still quite early". I checked the time.

"6:14AM?" I said, reading the clock face. "You're never up this time, what's up?" I asked. He shook his head.

"Nothing it's just… well, you're always up so much earlier than me I never got to see you asleep… but then I did a little while ago and now I love watching you all cute and cozy. Did you know you often mutter stuff while you sleep?". I shook my head.

"Rogue never said" I replied. Natsu rested his head on my chest, arms stretching around me in a warm embrace, literally, the heat radiated off of him over my body, filling my chest with a fluttering feeling of love. He then looked up at me and smiled.

"I'm glad we did that before you left" he said. I briefly passed through confusion before the fog of memory cleared. Images of Natsu topping me returned to my mind. Natsu, I think, saw me realise and then went to squeeze my ass. "Did I hurt you?" he asked. I shook my head. I could feel the dull ache but nothing particularly painful. "Good… I wanted to make sure" he said.

"Umm… I've got something to admit" I said. Natsu looked at me and cocked his head to the side.

"What's up?" he asked.

"W-well… that was my first time bottoming" I admitted, blushing deeply. Natsu smirked.

"Glad that I was your first" he said, "But I thought you told me that you'd had sex before" he commented. I nodded.

"Yeah, I've done it with a guy before, it's just I only topped him, not the other way around" Natsu's eyes briefly flared as I even mentioned another guy, but that quickly settled as I mentioned that I'd only topped them.

"Alright…" he said, before resting his head back on my chest and looking out through the bedroom door to the inn room beyond. I followed his gaze and I saw all of the pictures and articles Natsu had stuck up everywhere, as well as all their messages. "Hey Natsu… why'd you put up all of those anyways?" I asked, wanting to know how the pink-head was feeling about me leaving.

"W-well… on the job Lucy started talking to me and well… we chatted for a while and then I admitted that I… was afraid of you leaving and forgetting my feelings, so she asked me what I wanted to do about it. That's when we made up the whole plan, and she was spot on with how you'd act, going to the cherry tree then my house like you did". I pouted.

"Good to know I'm so easy to read" my tone full with mock annoyance, although really all I felt was pure elation that Natsu could tell exactly how I would feel and think, even if he had some help. Natsu was unfazed by the tone and smiled.

"I love you" he said, parroting himself from last night.

"I love you too" I said, parroting also. "Let's stay here for a bit… just like this… then we can go to the guild" I said, not wanting to remember this was our last day together.

Natsu nodded, a little solemnly as he thought similar thoughts. "Yeah… sounds good".

/

 **Natsu POV, At the guild**

We had stayed at Stings for a while before we left around 7:30AM. I had hung around in his living room as he packed, not really wanting to see him preparing to leave me for even the short amount of time that it was. When we arrived at the guild however, we weren't met by just Erza, as per usual, but instead the whole guild was standing waiting. "Good morning Master Sting" they all greeted. I felt like clutching his hand as I watched several people thank him for visiting, before Erza and Mirajane came over. "The Master arranged all this" Mira said, "He wants to speak with you in his office, then you can…" she switched to whispering, "spend the rest of the day with Natsu". Erza smirked knowingly as she gestured for me to follow her whilst Sting went off with Mira to find Gramps. Lucy came over and joined me where Erza had sat me. She didn't bother sitting as she had to go speak to Levy soon after. "Hey Natsu, how are you feeling?" she asked. I gave her a puzzled expression, albeit only halfheartedly.

"About Sting leaving?" I asked, she nodded unspeaking, "Well… I don't know. I know he _has_ to go it's just… I don't want him too". She smiled and nodded friendly.

"That's normal, it's just your heart telling you you'll miss him" she responded. I smiled at her as she pointed out Levy and bid me a short 'see ya'. "See ya later Lucy" I replied. I then noticed that Gray had been sitting at the bar watching us. Once Lucy was gone he turned around and I knew he wanted me to come over. I huffed out a breath before doing as he so obviously wanted. "Watcha want popsicle?" I said as I slumped down beside him. He smirked.

"Good to see your still as much of an idiot as ever, with or without a… _boyfriend_ " he said coolly. I scowled.

"You just want to insult me?" I asked, getting up to leave. I really wasn't in the mood for this.

"No, sit down. It's just… I wanted to make _sure_ you're okay. I know you said you were to Lucy… but I can tell that your trying not to show any fears in this." He observed. I looked at him for a little while, debating whether I should just tell him that I think Sting's my mate. No… not think, _know_.

/

 **Sting POV**

I was taken by Mirajane to the Master's office and plonked on a chair inside. She then went to find Makarov, who appeared beside her a moment later. "Good morning Master Sting" he said cheerily. I nodded and smiled.

"Good morning". Makarov stood beside the chair I was sat in, barely as tall as the seat.

"I'll make this quick since I'm sure you've got other _priorities_ right now" he said understandingly. I silently thanked him for his very 'fatherly' understanding of my feelings. "I filled in the report this morning with what you told me last night, is there anything else to add?" I shook my head. "Good, you can go and I'll file that as a final pass, yes?" I nodded getting up from the chair.

"Thank you Makarov… I'm very thankful for your hospitality and-" he raised a hand to cut my short.

"Save it Sting… I know how you feel, and I know that you are thankful. As I said upon your return from that dreadful mess at Natsu's job you are now, and forever, a friend of Fairy Tail. You don't need to thank me and so… just go be with Natsu, it's where you're needed right now". I nodded with a grin.

"Where I'm needed" I parroted. Mirajane hadn't left the room the whole time and was wearing her smile from ear to ear.

"Come on, let's get you downstairs, with two coffees, okay?" I nodded.

"Two coffee's sounds great" I said happily. I could hear Makarov chuckle as we left.

/

When I got back I saw Natsu chatting with Gray. Unusually they were laughing rather than bickering. "What are you two up to?" I asked politely as I approached the duo. Gray smiled and waved.

"Just talking to Natsu about old times… I'll leave you two in peace" he said quickly, getting up and leaving with a wave. I saw Juvia stalk him out but didn't bother to warn him that he was about to be attacked by the blue-haired water mage. Natsu was smiling at me as I moved closer to him. I returned the smile as Mirajane brought over the two coffees, one for me and one for him. She placed them down but didn't bother to stay, obviously believing us to be better off alone. Natsu never stopped his smile and I briefly considered just kissing him right here and now, if nothing else just to see the reaction. _It would save us a lot of trouble later_ I thought as I sat down, _But I'd rather not have any trouble now_.

"So, you want to do anything today?" I asked. Natsu nodded, eyes ablaze with emotions.

"I kinda… hoped you'd take a walk with me" he said. I nodded.

"We'll drink these then go for a walk" I agreed.

/

 **Natsu POV, much later in the evening.**

We had spent most of the day walking and chatting. Firstly, I had taken Sting to the very spot we stood on in the west gate park. Luckily there was no-one around and after a bit of reminiscing we kissed fleetingly. Around lunch time he insisted that we got something to eat, since we had missed out on breakfast. I knew this was a ploy as he took us straight to the 'Dragon's Hearth', the restaurant we had spent our time in for our first date. The waitress recognized us immediately and gave us a quiet table out of the way, not ever questioning why we were together in a restaurant such as this. After lunch I took Sting back to his inn room to collect his things he'd left packed up on his bed. We had sat on the sofa going from kissing, to reminiscing about his time both here and on that job with me, which ultimately led to more kissing. Eventually time leapt ahead of us and by 5:30Pm me and Sting left the inn room together for the last time. He handed the key to the desk clerk, and signed the paper she handed him. As we left she bid us a good day, with a friendly smile and a big wave. We slowly walked through Magnolia's streets, not really talking, but not really needing to, and by the time we reached the guild hall it was well into 6PM. When we arrived, however, we were greeted by quite the assemblage. Lucy, Erza, Gray, Happy, Wendy, Carla, Gajeel, Levy, Mirajane, Lisanna, Gramps, even Pantherlily.

"Good evening" Lucy, Gray, Levy, and Happy said in unison. This set the master to a big smile.

"We wanted to greet you before the party" he said cheerily, "Wouldn't be a proper Fairy Tail send off without one" I nodded in agreement.

"Is everyone inside?" I asked. He nodded.

"We figured we'd great you out here in case you wanted to say anything about _you know_ before we went inside" Gray spoke up. I looked around, and aside from Carla and Pantherlily, everyone else knew about us already.

"So do you all…?" I trailed off. This was more directed at the two exceeds. Carla spoke up first, whilst Lily just gave a nod.

"Of course we do, Wendy told me straight away" she spouted. Wendy shook her head, face turning red.

"I'm sorry Natsu" she apologized. I smiled warmly.

"It's fine. I assume you told Lily, Gajeel?" The Iron Dragon Slayer just grunted a 'yeah' in reply.

"So… are you two sure you're okay?" This was Lucy speaking up now.

Sting nodded with a smile, whilst I nodded before shaking my head. "Yes, we're good, why does everyone keep asking that?" I said. Sting ruffled my hair.

"I think it's cute everyone cares about us" he said. This made Lucy blush and Erza smile.

"Right…" I said, trying to force down the red hue that was adoring my cheeks, but ultimately failing as Sting kissed my cheek.

Gramps cleared his throat. "Before Natsu turns into a tomato, let's get inside" he spoke up. I thanked him silently in my head as we turned and entered the party inside the guild.

/

The party went on for a while and by about 11PM Sting was nearing the time of his departure. He had agreed not to leave until 12AM so we still had an hour, however I was still growing anxious of his leaving. Noticing my feelings, he pulled me aside, into the infirmary. "What's up Natsu, I know it's getting near to the time" he said, plonking me down on one of the beds. I pouted,

"I don't want you to go" I said huffily. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"I know" he said, tone comforting and soft, "But look… there something I wanted to do and I was going to do it just before I left, but I think now is a better time". My face contorted in confusion, before he pulled out a box from amongst his other items which he had already placed in the infirmary at the party's beginning to avoid them getting damaged. He placed it on my lap, a large grin plastered over his face. I took hold of the box, examining it closely. It was plain and white, no obvious features on it what so ever. I looked at him, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of love and care, waiting for me to open his gift. I could not resist any longer and opened the box.

Inside was the Sting plushie. I smirked as I remembered buying him it what felt like years ago but was in fact only days. I directed the smile at him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you" I said. He grinned wider.

"I finally recorded a message on it" he said happily. I cocked my head, now wanting to know what it said, but first having to give him something of my own.

"Wait just one minute" I said, rummaging through his things before returning to sitting beside him. I was holding the Natsu plushie. "Here" I said, giving it to him. He took it carefully and place it on his lap, I did the same with the Sting plushie. "I wanted this to be a surprise when you were unpacking at Sabertooth, but I just _have_ to see your reaction now" I said. He raised an eyebrow.

"You recorded a new message?" he guessed. I nodded with a big grin as equal in width as his. We then smiled and looked down at the plushies on our laps.

"I'll go first" I said, he nodded and smirked. I squeezed the plushie and the recording played.

"I love you Natsu. I always will… remember; you're _my_ _little dragon_ " the message played out. My chest burned hearing these words, a spark turning into a flame and then into an inferno rising in my chest. I couldn't help it and I wrapped my arms around Stings body, hugging him to me tightly.

"Thank you Sting" I said, a few stray tears running down my cheeks. He brushed them off and then kissed me.

"You're welcome Natsu" he said before looking down at the me plushie. "I'll go next then" he said, squeezing it lightly.

"Your _little dragon_ loves you, and he always will" the plushie said. Sting smiled warmly at those words.

"I know you do Natsu" he said. We sat embraced for a few moments before he picked up the Natsu plushie and carefully put it into the white box. He then put the box back into his packed things, being extra careful with how it was placed. It made the fire in my chest burn even brighter watching him take such care with the gift I had given him. _I don't want to miss these moments_ I thought as I realised just how much I'd miss not having Sting around for even just a few days. Before I could plead for him to stay however we heard the party outside the infirmary doors grow ominously quiet. Sting flicked his head up in the direction of the doors.

"What's going on?" he said. I sniffed the air and jumped up to my feet. Sting saw my fighting stance and assumed a defensive crouch on the floor. "What's going on Natsu?" he repeated.

"I… don't know. Smells weirdly familiar though" I said, focusing on sniffing the air. He rose to his feet and went to the door. He sniffed a little, but his nose was not as keen as mine.

"We need to check it out" he said. I almost blurted out to stop him but knew it was true. He swung open the doors and we rushed into the guild hall, flames encircling my hands, whilst Sting prepared for a fight.

/

When we arrived everyone was standing perfectly still, all looking towards the door. None of them moving. Their eyes flicked about though, so they were obviously aware of what was happening.

Me and Sting walked to the center of the room before our eyes set onto the open doors of the guildhall. Standing in them was a figure, robed in black.

"Good evening Dragon Slayers" he said with an ominous tone. Sting's hands glowed white and my flames rose to engulf my body.

"Phantasm" Sting growled. He laughed his voice oddly echoic, yet his tone was almost jovial.

"Yes… good to know you remember me". I studied him with a predatory gaze. He had removed the ridiculous jester outfit and donned a black tailcoat, dark grey waistcoat, and a white shirt, with equally as dark pants and boots. Despite all the changes I could sense the dark magic emanating off of him.

"B…e… caref…ul" a voice cried out. It was Gramps, the only one not absolutely immobilized by what I assumed was this guy's magic.

"Natsu… we _need_ to be careful" Sting iterated. I cocked my head.

"I'll beat this guy to a pulp" I barked, looking at the pain in my Master's eyes, as well as the now obvious fear in Sting's.

Phantasm laughed all the more.

 **End of Chapter 20**


	21. Chapter 21 - Returned

Chapter 21 – Returned

 **Natsu POV**

Phantasm stood in the guild doorway, his laugh echoing around the hall being the only sound to be heard, besides me and Sting growling. My Dragon Slayer instincts had kicked in as soon as I'd identified him as a threat, the need to protect Sting manifesting in my every action. The way I stood slightly in front of him, my wide stance to push him aside more than to protect myself. Sting recognized this and I saw his frown directed at me.

"Focus on him and yourself Natsu, I can protect myself, alright?" he demanded. I looked at him momentarily.

"But I want-"

"No. Remember our agreement?" he stated. I nodded and stared down our opponent. Phantasm was watching us with an amused glance through the eyes of the very same mask he wore on our first encounter.

"You would challenge me?" he said amusedly, "Look around you… even Makarov of the Ten Wizard Saints is frozen by my power". I had to admit he looked strong, but I was still gonna beat the crap out of him.

"What do you want?" Sting growled, still obviously trying to maintain a level head despite the situation.

"Want? Who said I _wanted_ anything… let's just call this a house call" he laughed once more. _Damn him…_ I thought, rage filling my thoughts and chest to their absolute limit. "Now now… don't look at me like that. If you're angry about the staff incident than you _really_ need to let things lie…" he babbled. The more he talked the more I thought about jumping up to attack him; the only thing that stopped me was the thought of leaving Sting's side.

"Natsu…" Sting said to get my attention, "I don't think he's gonna fight us here" he commented.

Phantasm pointed directly at Sting. "Good job, give the dog a biscuit" he stated, "I was just here to remind you… I can come here whenever I want and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me" he gestured around the room in emphasis. I briefly flicked me eyes around to see my guildmates all frozen by this guy's magic. They were all aware of what was going on, that much was obvious even to me, so I couldn't act _too_ protective of Sting unless I wanted to explain to everyone _why_ later. _He's set this up like that_ … I thought returning my attention to the dark mage in front of us. He raised his arms above his head and clicked his fingers. Two spell circles appeared on the floor and out of them rose the same robed figures which attacked us at my house. "What the hell is going on?" I demanded. Phantasm cocked his head.

"Did you not recognize my buddies?" he asked mockingly. His grin widened to an impossible degree.

"Don't fall into his trap Natsu" Sting said from beside me. He had been coldly analytical these past few moments, obviously deciding how to proceed. "So you sent those guys?" he asked.

Phantasm nodded. "Give the doggie another biscuit, two for two. Yes, I sent them… but _why_ you might be thinking?" Sting cocked his head slightly.

"To frighten us… or…"

"Yes. Now you seem to be getting it. My power is great, but my love of CHAOS is greater!" he cackled now, maniacal and high pitched.

"He's insane." Sting said flatly. I nodded in agreement.

"So that stuff with the staff was for his own amusement and now he's just playing with us" I commented. Phantasm smirked as I said this, laughter subsiding.

"Yes Natsu Dragneel. I was just having _fun_ before… but now you've got me _interested_. How much fun can I have with you I wonder, the boy who destroys everything he touches in dragon fire…" he said taunting me to attack. And I almost did, if not for Sting putting his arm out in front of me. I growled deeply.

"Don't hurt Sting… or Fairy Tail… _or you will regret it for your very SHORT life_ " I snarled menacingly. Phantasm laughed and clicked his fingers once more, dispelling his 'buddies'.

"We'll meet again…" he said, turning and fading into the air. I sniffed until I was sure he couldn't possibly be there before turning to Sting.

"You aren't leaving still?" I asked.

/

 **Sting POV**

After Phantasm's disappearance Natsu kept scenting the air until he was sure we weren't going to see another encore. Once he was sure he turned straight to me.

"You aren't leaving still?" he asked, eyes full of concern and anger.

I shook my head. "I've got to go… Sabertooth needs their Guildmaster back, and that guy can't frighten us" I said, putting a friendlier grip onto Natsu's shoulder so as to look inconspicuous to the awakening guild. Makarov was first up.

"He… was certainly powerful. He waltzes in here, freezes us all before we can even react and then demands to see you two. He will pay…" the old man was fuming with rage, body growing to be significantly larger.

Mirajane, Erza, Gray and Lucy came over. "He was waaaaay too strong for us" Lucy commented. Gray nodded reluctantly.

"I hate being frozen, especially by some _dark wizard_ " he spat the word out like it was poison. Erza was almost murderous in her gaze.

"He will pay for what he has done, and for threatening a member of Fairy Tail" she said flatly. The whole guild seemed to be rallying now. Anger and hatred pouring forth, as well as sympathy for me and Natsu standing up to him. Apparently no-one had thought anything of how we acted during the event, even Natsu's overprotectiveness. Yet.

"I still need to get back" I said, trying to keep everyone calm, "Although I think walking is out of the question now". Erza nodded in agreement.

"To avoid any panic or suspicion we'll need to get you to Sabertooth… but with your magic and trains not mixing, we could try a magic mobile, it'll be a lot harder for anyone to find you in one of those" she schemed. I nodded, then spoke up.

"I know Wendy can use her Sky Dragon Slayer Magic to stop the motion sickness, so I should be able to drive the thing" I said confidently.

Erza nodded in agreement. "Then it seems we have a plan. But on another matter…" she wandered off without finishing. We watched her go as Makarov returned from speaking with Maccao.

"Maccao's going to co-ordinate things here and make sure everyone's okay. Wakaba's helping. Levy, did you notice anything about this guy's magic?" the knowledgeable script mage shook her head.

"I've never seen or read anything about it" she replied. Natsu pouted.

"It smelled like dark magic… but also like death" he said grimly. I nodded in agreement.

"I could smell it too" I confirmed. Makarov looked around grimly, as if expecting some great creature to pop out of nowhere.

"It reminded me of death magic" Gajeel said bluntly, "I've fought a few mages like that before and that smelled kinda like their magic… but weird". Suddenly everyone turned and faced a point of space somewhere near to my person. I looked about but couldn't see anyone. Then Natsu placed his arm on my shoulder.

"Natsu, wha-" I jumped. As soon as Natsu touched me a figured suddenly appeared beside me. She appeared quite young, with a pale pink dress and blonde hair.

"Don't be afraid Sting" she said soothingly, holding up her hands to show her harmlessness.

"Who are you?" I asked, suspicious of this girl's sudden appearance given what I'd just seen with Phantasm. Saying this I noticed Natsu's grip on my shoulder increase as he pulled me nearer to him. "This is the First Master" he whispered. I wore a look of even greater confusion hearing this. She looked directly at me.

"Yes. I am the First Master of Fairy Tail, Mavis Vermilion." She declared, "I must state that I am, at the moment, more accurately a ghost or image of the person that was Mavis Vermilion". I nodded in semi-understanding.

"Alright, but how are you still alive, aren't you a hundred years old or something?" I was really confused by this. She smiled.

"Yep. I'm 118 years old. Although my body may have died my spirit lives on in the guild. Normally only wizards of my guild can see me but I made a special exception for you as you are both a friend and ally to Fairy Tail" Finally some realisation hit me and I nodded with a smile.

"Alright, but why are you here?" I asked. Makarov nodded.

"Yes, why are you here First Master? Do you know something about our enemy?" the current Master asked. Mavis nodded.

"I was observing from the place where spirits exist, the Spirit World shall we call it… and I saw that presence. More precisely I could sense it. The darkness surrounding our guild. It stopped me from manifesting so I just observed until it left… All I can say is that man was _very_ powerful… but also, strangely _ancient_ " she stopped to let this sink in. "He also seems to be able to affect spirits somehow, although I don't know anything beyond that". Natsu cocked his head.

"Why does he want to bother me and Sting?" he asked. Mavis shrugged and Makarov sighed.

"Even the First Master, the Fairy Tactician, can't figure this out then?" Mavis bowed solemnly.

"I'm sorry everyone, I'll see what I can find out in the Spirit World. Until then stay safe you two… and Natsu, don't worry about Sting so much. I know you love him but he does need to go" with that she disappeared and Natsu let go of my shoulder.

"How did she…" he mouthed. I smirked and whispered in his ear discreetly.

"Don't worry" I said soothingly. This seemed to calm him down. After that I turned to Makarov as Erza came back with Wendy.

"I've sent Jet out to get a magic mobile" she stated. I nodded.

"Then it's time to say goodbye" Natsu whimpered a little.

/

After about half an hour and a few stiff drinks I loaded my stuff onto a magic mobile. Jet had found one in very little time at all and brought it straight to the guild. Erza had also sent Max out to get an 'extra someone'. I was curious as to who she was referring to, however refrained as I focused as much remaining time as I could on Natsu, just to make sure he was okay. Max returned a little later with a man of about 20, wearing a fine suit and wild honey coloured hair.

"Erza asked for me?" he said as Max brought him to the front of the guildhall.

"Ah… you're here" she said gesturing for him to come over. Once he did she turned him to face me. "This is Master Sting Eucliffe, I want you to co-drive with him back to his guild, alright?" he nodded quietly, obviously used to these kind of situations. I didn't bother asking her why she had brought him, it was pretty obvious; she needed him here to drive this if I couldn't make it all the way, or if there was something wrong. _As cunning as ever_ … I thought as Natsu took me around to the other side of the vehicle, out of the sight of the others. "Natsu…" I said, running my hand through his hair. He shook his head.

"I don't want to say 'goodbye' so I'll say 'see ya later' alright?" I could tell he was desperately fighting the urge to jump in the vehicle with me. _A Dragon Slayer's instinct to be with their mate_ I noted silently, before I lightly kissed him. He tried to deepen the kiss, which I allowed fleetingly, before we returned to the others discretely.

It was now closer to 1AM, nearly an hour later than the initial departure time. I stepped up to the driving seat of the vehicle with quite the group of wizards fussing about. Wendy came over and clambered up, placing her hands over my ears she cast her spell. I knew it would stop me from feeling motion sick, however I hoped it would last the whole journey. Once she was done she went and joined the group standing closest to the magic mobile. Finally, the driver Erza had asked for climbed inside, and with that the moment came. I was leaving Fairy Tail, and Natsu… although the latter would be coming to see me a few days from now.

From my perch on the vehicle I looked out at the guild wizards I had spent most of my time with these past few weeks. "Well… looks like I'll be leaving now" I said unsurely, "I would just like to say that I'm thankful for each of you helping and accepting me into your guild, even for this brief time. I would also take the opportunity to apologise for all the trouble, and bid you a fond hope that we will defeat this Phantasm before he causes any more mischief." At the ending of my short speech Makarov smiled broadly.

"It is my fondest hope that relations between our guilds have a brighter future ahead, and that indeed we will see the end of that dark wizard's plans before any true harm is done" he concluded. I smiled and took the SE plug onto my wrist. Natsu called out.

"Safe journey Sting" he said as I set the vehicle in motion. It had been a while since I had even tried using one, especially since, like Natsu, my motion sickness had begun to occur at quite the young age.

After a little bit of practice, I sent it rushing forward; away from Magnolia, from Fairy Tail, and from Natsu.

/

 **Several hours later, arriving at Sabertooth**

It was daylight by the time we reached Sabertooth. Erza's foresight was most appreciated it would seem, however, as we had had to stop for a while and change over. Instead of taking the direct route my co-driver, which I learned from our intermittent chit-chat was called Striker, suggested a longer, but more complex route to avoid any possible attacks from Phantasm. He was quite the capable wizard, it would seem, as well; he gave me a brief demonstration. He practiced a form of speed-enhancing magic which allowed him to run on air and increase his weight to deliver more devastating blows from above. He drove it on more expertly than me and when we switched I fell asleep inside, only waking up when Striker asked me if I wanted to stop somewhere to get something to eat, which I happily accepted.

He drove most of the way and when we arrived at Sabertooth he was exhausted. As soon as the car pulled up I was almost dragged out by Rogue. "You're late. Makarov sent me a letter at your departure, to let me know you were coming, and then I had to wait around for you for a couple of hours." I stared at the black haired Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"I've been gone for a few weeks and you greet me like that?" I said sarcastically. He rose an eyebrow.

"You got banged up pretty bad too. I know you went to Fairy Tail with your own agenda, but did you really have to go get the guild's reputation down whilst you were out there" he scolded. I sighed, _if Rogue's this bad no just wait until Natsu gets here_ I thought, hauling my packed stuff out of the vehicle. Yukino emerged from the guild hall next. "Sting! Your back" she called out. I shot her a smile.

"Just now, Rogue was giving me an earful though" I greeted the celestial mage. She hugged me.

"When the guild heard about you getting injured whilst out with Natsu we got worried. But then you sent us a letter with the payment for the doctor and we figured it must not have been as bad as we thought" she said as we walked inside. I nodded.

"It was pretty bad, but I got better pretty fast. Three days with that doctor, and with Natsu's help and I was right as rain the next day" I lied a little. There was still something wrong with my magic, it fluctuated sometimes, but otherwise it was fine.

Rogue sighed. "Our idiot leader, brave and foolish at every turn" he said. I scowled at him.

"Your _Master_ " I retorted, flaunting my rank over him. The guild muttered as I walked through, flanked by my two assistants. Rogue and Yukino always helped me run things (sometimes into the ground) so they were used to us moving about the guild as a group. A few wizards rushed up and asked me how I was.

"I don't remember a time you ever got so terribly injured" Rufus said, passing me in the corridor. I smirked as he continued walking.

"Yeah… me neither" I admitted, he seemed to be smiling as he continued on. Once I reached my office I opened it and… nearly died.

There was a mountain of paper work. No, more accurately it was a sea. Papers covered the floor, the desk, even some of the shelves, in piles everywhere. I glowered at Rogue, who chuckled a little. "While you were gone, _master_ , the Magic Council kept sending us stuff about that dark wizard. Reports, files, requests for information from you… you're going to be busy these next few days.

I sighed deeply. _This is revenge for making him worry_ I thought grimly.

/

After showing me my office Rogue left me to my own devices. First up on my list was going home, unpacking, and finding Lector. With this in my head I exited the guild and promptly went over to mine and Rogue's shared apartment. He noticed me leaving and reminded me to 'pack everything away neatly'. I muttered, as I left, "Stupid Rogue…".

As soon as I entered the apartment I was barraged with a cacophony of noise. "Sting! Your here!" Lector said. I smiled and patted my exceed buddy on the head.

"Yeah, just got back actually… were you waiting for me all this time?" I asked. Lector nodded with a big smile on his face.

"Yeah, 'course I was." He said, "I heard from Rogue that you'd be coming back to the guild today so I figured I would wait for ya here". I nodded.

"So, what you been up to?" I asked as I went further inside, depositing my stuff down on my bed.

Lector shrugged. "Not much. Frosch got lost 'round town, so nothing new" the red exceed recounted. "How'd things go on your end?" he smiled.

"The jobs were pretty standard. I didn't have to do much so it was pretty boring overall. Well... except that stuff with this dark wizard, Phantasm" I pointed out. Lector frowned.

"Yeah, from what Rogue told us he's some bad news. He shouldn't be too much of a threat to you though Sting, coz you're so powerful and all" Lector boasted. I just kept smiling. "How'd things go with Natsu?" he asked.

I paused for a minute, before remembering that I had told Rogue, Lector and Frosch about my plan to befriend Natsu. I shrugged. "It went pretty good. We're _really good_ friend's now" I smirked, _That's kinda of true_ I thought.

Lector nodded. "Good, I know how much you wanted to befriend him, what with him being your idol and everything". I nodded.

"Yeah…" I packed away the last of my stuff, carefully putting the white box under my bed. Lector watched suspiciously. "Just some stuff." I said, responding to his unvoiced question.

"If it's presents I won't tell" he probed. I shook my head.

"It's just some stuff from Magnolia, you know, keepsakes" I lied. He shrugged again and we left the room.

/

After about an hour talking with Lector I figured we should go back to the guild. On the way there I ran into some people who stopped to ask me questions. _Obviously more than just the guilds know about the attacks_ I thought as I walked on. _I'm gonna have to be careful with the jobs I pick for the inspections since there might be some risks… and if Phantasm shows up at the guild we need to be ready to beat him_. Lector noticed my slightly solemn expression.

"Don't think too hard about those dark wizard guys, I'm sure everything'll be fine" he said confidently. I nodded and smiled at my best buddy. _I'd missed having him around_ …

We entered the guild and Rogue glared at me as he walked over. "Where have you been? You took your time" he scolded. I shrugged and walked on past him towards my office.

"I wanted to chat with Lector." I explained calmly. He sighed.

"You should get on with your work, the Magic Council sent another file of paperwork for you to fill in while you were out". I grimaced. _No life. That's it… no life for the next few days_.

Rogue left me to it in my office. Lector helped pile stuff up into semi-organised lumps of paper. The first paperwork I found on my desk I did. Most of it seemed to be requests for information about my encounters with Phantasm and his helpers from the Magic Council, however some were job requests and others were things to do with the guild. I sifted through the stuff until I found the paper I wanted though. FAIRY TAIL GUILD ANALYSIS it read in large bolded print along the top. Once it was found I sat down at my desk and started writing. Lector left me to it with a casual 'see ya' as he flew out through the door.

/

 **Fairy Tail, the day after Sting's departure**

 **Natsu POV**

"It's boring…" I whined, sitting in a booth with my head on the table. Lucy glowered.

"Take a job then, geez… Sting's gone for one day and you throw a fit" she stated, annoyed.

"She's right Natsu" Gray said from beside me. "Take a job, then we can all get back to work". I rolled my eyes.

"Fine…" I was itching to see Sting again, but was reluctant to go on a job since Happy managed to get it into my head yesterday that Gramps would leave without me. I scanned over the request flyers and selected one that looked interesting. It was a pretty standard 'beat up the monster terrorizing the village' kind of job.

I placed the flyer in front of Gray and Lucy. Happy flew over and joined us. "There, ya happy?" I asked angrily. Gray took the flyer and scanned through it quickly.

"Sound's good, wanna leave in an hour or so? It's not that far away and I just need to get some stuff ready" he said. Lucy quickly scanned the flyer.

"This'll almost cover my rent, sounds good" she said, "Meet you in front of the guild in an hour". Me and Gray nodded and they both got up and left to get ready. I didn't have anything pressing to do so Happy just sat on my head, which was once more laying down on the table.

"Come on Natsu cheer up. You sulked all of yesterday, you didn't sleep well last night, you gotta get back to normal" the blue exceed stated. I groaned.

"I know" I said, sound muffled by the table, "I'm trying… it's just my Dragon Slayer instincts are going crazy, they're just making me wanna get up and go" I said. Happy sighed.

"You're hopeless…" he complained before getting up and wandering off. I watched him go before I felt a tap on my head. I turned over to see Lisanna standing there.

"Hey Natsu," she greeted, "I just wanted to see how you were doing and well… look at you" she pouted. I groaned and resumed staring the table down. "Come on mister, you're going to come on a little walk with me. A bit of fresh air will do you good" she babied me. I stood up and was dragged out of the guild and into the midday light. "So, what's up?" she asked dumbly as we walked along a pretty empty street.

"I miss him" I said flatly. She nodded.

"I know that, what kind of boyfriend are you if you don't, right?" she asked. I smirked.

"A pretty bad one…" I answered. She smiled.

"Yeah, but do you know what's worse?" I shook my head, confused. "A boyfriend who mopes around just because he can't see them every second of every day. As I recall you were fine going on jobs without Sting around, just so long as you came back to him…" I nodded, "Well, just pretend like Sting's just gone on a longer job without you, and you'll see each other soon, alright?" My smile brightened. Lisanna was actually helping me out.

"Yeah, I just worry about us… I mean, he's in a different guild and…" I couldn't find the words. Lisanna patted me on the shoulder.

"It'll be alright, remember, Sabertooth isn't that far from Magnolia, you can get there and back in one day, easy" she said confidently. I nodded.

"Thanks Lisanna, you're right. Sabertooth isn't far from Magnolia anyways, so it's not like I won't see him a lot, and right now he's probably busy working away, getting ready for Gramps to come over so it would only be fair if I was working hard too, right?" I sought confirmation from the white haired mage. She smiled wider and nodded.

"Of course, now… can you help _me_ carry some of the stuff Mira wanted from the market" I cocked my head. _She deliberately lured me out here just so I could help her carry stuff? … but I suppose I should help her since she helped me_ I thought as Lisanna glared at me until I nodded. "Good, let's go to the market" she giggled. I sighed.

/

On the way back to the guild I suddenly realised why Lisanna had asked me to come. "Lisanna," I inquired, "Why are these sacks so heavy?". She had handed me two brown sacks from some random store in town, asking me to carry them around whilst she ran off to get some other stuff. The take-over mage laughed.

"They're heavy because they're full of iron, silly" she giggled out. I sweat dropped.

"You mean I've had to lug tons of iron around all day?" I asked, voice deadpan. "Why the hell do we need so much iron?!" I shouted.

"Of course you've carried that around, I couldn't have carried them, and all of this stuff, by myself" she informed me "And the iron is for Gajeel. You have your own special fire menu so why can't he have his own iron one?". I sighed _Sting was right about her manipulative streak_ I commented internally.

When we reached the guild I was met by a chorus of curses. "Where the fuck have you been?" Gray said.

"Oh crap…" I squeaked. Lucy glared at me.

"We agreed to meet here half an hour ago Natsu" the blonde scowled. Lisanna smiled diplomatically.

"Natsu was just helping me, sorry if we got side tracked" she apologised. This seemed to pacify them a bit. I dropped the iron inside, then we went out on the job. _Stupid Lisanna_ I complained, any thankful thoughts for her advice gone after that trip around the market.

 _Although she was right about me and Sting…_ I admitted, _we can see each other often, right?_

 **End of Chapter 21**


	22. Chapter 22 - We Meet Again

**Chapter 22 – We Meet Again**

 **Sting POV**

It had been four days since I'd left Fairy Tail. After beginning my assault on the mountain of work on the first day I returned to my apartment late that night. Rogue had waited for me, keeping the meal he had made warm. He scolded me for making him wait, yet it was his instance that I do all that work; there really was no pleasing him. For the first time in a week I slept without Natsu besides me. Of course I had Lector there, but it wasn't the same. I found it more difficult to get to sleep, missing the scent and unnaturally high body temperature of Natsu beside me. Eventually though the thoughts I had of Natsu, and of what was to come, lulled me to sleep. That night my dreams all featured the pink head, and that morning there was an irritating surprise waiting for me. Lector smiled as I awoke. "Having a nice dream Sting?" he had asked me with a wry grin, eyes gesturing downwards. Luckily he was understanding enough not to push the issue; the first time that is. I was extremely embarrassed about this.

For the subsequent three nights I had slept increasingly more soundly, as the paperwork of the day dragged me further and further into the realms of fatigue. Each morning, however, I always awoke with that same 'surprise'. Lector thought it was some one-off the first couple of times, however as it occurred more frequently (especially irritating when Natsu popped into my head whilst I was working and I had to conceal it from the whole guild) the red exceed had begun to question who it was I was thinking of. I acted embarrassed and tried to keep quiet each time, however I was desperate to tell both him, and my other closest friends, all about me and Natsu.

By today, the fourth day since my departure from Fairy Tail, I was positively desperate to tell them, if nothing else to stop them from asking why I was grinning so much while I was working. Makarov and me had sent a few letters back and forth and, after my final clash with the paperwork (of which I reigned victorious, defeating the final lot of it by midday yesterday) we decided that he would visit Sabertooth today for the assessment.

/

 _I can't wait to see Natsu again_ I thought as I filed away yet another piece of paper the Magic Council sent me regarding the Phantasm incidents. I was humming a pleasant tune as I piled neatly the assorted items on my desk, when I heard a knock at the door. "Master, can we enter?" a voice sounded from the other side.

"Of course" I said, "And enough with all that 'Master' crap, alright?" I may like to pull rank _sometimes_ but most of the time it was just annoying. Rogue, as well as, Lector, Frosche, Dobengal, Yukino, Orga, Rufus, and a few other select Sabertooth guild wizards entered. They all greeted me politely. "Alright, that's enough of that. I'm gonna get straight to the point, as you all are most likely aware we are going to be having a guild assessment by Makarov of Fairy Tail. For this I'm going to require each of you to go on a job with him observing your actions. This makes you in essence, representatives of Sabertooth, got that?" they all nodded in understanding. "Good… you may all go, but you can't go on jobs until the one I assign you is completed, alright?" again they all nodded and left, only Rogue and Yukino remained, along with Lector and Frosche.

"You want us to go on jobs, Sting?" Lector asked, "Alone?". I shook my head.

"Lector, I would like you to accompany Yukino, and, obviously, Frosche can go with Rogue" I said politely. Lector nodded looking up at the celestial wizard.

"Alright" he said. Yukino smiled at him, which he reciprocated immediately.

"It'll be fun to work with you" she said. Lector nodded and her, giving her a thumbs up.

"Let's go everyone, Sting needs to get back to work" Rogue cut in. I held up a hand to interject him.

"I'd like to speak to you alone Rogue, if that's all right?" the Shadow Dragon Slayer nodded as the other three left.

"What is it Sting?" he asked bluntly as soon as the door was closed. I gestured for him to sit opposite me. He did so, albeit reluctantly.

"Right… I've got a little task for you, on top of the assessment" I began, Rogue raised an eyebrow, gesturing for me to continue. "Well, after the attacks me and Makarov have made an agreement. For the sake of appearances, we need to display that we are both strong and capable, standing up to Phantasm's threats, but also aware of the danger. To this end Makarov and I agreed that he should bring around a sort of guide/bodyguard" I paused to allow this to sink in. Rogue frowned.

"That's oddly responsible of you Sting." He noted before smirking "What's _really_ going on?" he accused. I scowled. _He already suspects something?_

"Nothing, it's just as I said… anyways, the wizard he chose was…" I hesitated for a moment, "Natsu". Rogue groaned at the name.

"Why him? He'll destroy _everything_ … oh wait, _you want me to look after him don't you_ " he screeched. I grinned and rubbed the back of my head.

"Yeah, kinda" I replied. He sighed. "I just want you to make sure the guild and town aren't burned down to the ground".

"If that's what the guild master wishes" he said miserably, I nodded.

"Thanks Rogue" he growled.

"Don't thank me… this is way more than just a 'thank you'" he said as he got up to leave. I just smirked as he stormed off, bad mood brooding on his face. _He's going to be grumpy for the first couple of days_ I noted, _I wonder if he'll change his tune when he learns about me and 'my little dragon'_ the thought did not bode well. "But what did he want instead of a 'thank you' I wonder?" I voiced aloud once he was gone.

/

 **Natsu POV**

Gramps called me into his office this morning. It had been four days since Sting had left and I was pretty irritated. The first night without Sting beside me was bad enough, however as the time got longer since I had last been with him I got worse. Every time I went to sleep I started to visualize him and began to find that my sleep quickly became restless. Happy noted that I was tossing and turning in my sleep, and often I muttered Sting's name, amongst other things. Often as I woke up the next morning I found Happy had left my bedroom, where he normally slept, and instead moved down into the living room sofa. I kept apologizing to him, however I knew this would not cause me to stop fussing about Sting.

I knocked on the Master's office door, waiting for the cue to enter. When it sounded I quickly went inside and sat down at the offered seat opposite the tiny Guild Master. "Natsu my boy" he began cheerily, "I've got some good news". My ears perked up hearing this and I found myself smiling as I asked my next question.

"Is it about Sting?" I inquired. He nodded, causing me to break out into a grin.

"Master Sting has sent a couple of letters back in order to coordinate everything for our visit, he now asks if we can go there, preferably today, is that all right with you?" I nodded vigorously.

"Of course it's all right with me, when are we leaving?" I asked excitedly. Makarov smiled warmly.

"Later today, around 12PM, alright? We should arrive only a couple of hours later as it's not too far, although we will have to walk because I know what your like with vehicles" he informed me. I kept nodding and grinning as he relayed all this.

"Okay, did he ask anything of me?" I said expectantly. Makarov frowned momentarily, before pulling out one of the letters from a desk drawer.

"He did actually, let me see… ah yes, 'Bring the gift I left you' it said, oh… 'and please be on your best behavior'" I nodded, although I grunted unsatisfactorily at the latter comment.

"What does he mean 'best behavior' I'm not going to destroy anything" I commented. Gramps tutted and replaced the letter.

"I think he's just worrying about how people will react with you there Natsu" he said honestly. I took this in but did not speak. "Although I would like to remind you that you will be representing our guild, so you will _have_ to be on your best behavior" I nodded.

"Alright Gramps… is this all?" he smiled and nodded, so I got up and left. "See ya later then" I said as I closed the door.

 _I can't wait to see Sting again… and for us to sleep in the same bed again_ I thought, trying to avoid the slightly more pervy thoughts running through my mind.

/

 **Later that day**

It was only 11AM and I was already fidgeting. I had gone home straight after that talk with Gramps, packing up some stuff I figured I'd need. After everything else went in my backpack I finally added the gift Sting had asked me to bring. I smiled fondly as I thought of him. _I wonder how he's doing right now_.

I then proceeded to return to the guild, backpack in tow. Happy had helped me pack some stuff, however he had categorically stated he did not want to see any of the _special_ stuff I decided to bring. He had flown with me to the guild before leaving me to go find Lucy. We found her at one of the booths inside and had sat down with her.

"Hey Lucy" I said, taking a seat.

"Hey Natsu, what's with the bag?" she asked. I smiled widely.

"Todays the day I get to see Sting again" I said happily. She nodded.

"Alright, when are you leaving?" I cocked my head to the side.

"Erm… what time is it now?" I asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Only about 11" she said. I nodded.

"Then I've still got an hour to wait" I had said as she got up.

"Alright Natsu, good luck… I've got to go speak with Gray about something" she said wandering over to the half-naked Ice wizard. I laughed as she scolded him about his stripping before engaging in a conversation. Happy had watched me and Lucy, but then decided that talking to Lily was more interesting and wandered off. Alone I found that waiting another hour or so to leave would be impossible.

Eventually Gramps arrived, flanked by Mira and Erza. He muttered between them, obviously giving them command of the guild in his absence, then he noticed me waiting. "Oh Natsu… your waiting here already?" he asked politely. I nodded, shooting him a smile.

"I just couldn't wait" I admitted. He smirked as Erza and Mirajane shared a knowing smile, obviously aware of my accompanying the Master, as well as the _other_ reason I came along.

"Well, we can head of soon. If you go on out to the outskirts of town then I'll meet you there, it shouldn't take long" he said, I nodded. He then handed me a suitcase, which was quite heavy, even for me. "And take this too would ya" he requested. I did so and set off towards the outer section of Magnolia.

/

Gramps met me there about five minutes later, a smile on his face. "It's been a while since I've had to walk any great distance" he commented as we set off. I kept pace with him despite carrying both my own, and his, bags, quite easily. He chatted about people in the guild, most of which I just tuned out, and often complained about the paperwork being sent to him by the Magic Council, however as the journey progressed our conversations began to pick up a pace of their own.

"So Natsu, may I asked you something about Sting?" Gramps asked after about forty minutes of steady walking. I nodded, trying to anticipate his question.

"What'd ya want to know?" I inquired. He looked down to the ground for a moment, obviously trying to find his words.

"Well… Dragon Slayer's inhabit several aspects of the beast they're designed to slay, the dragons. I was wondering if that stretched to relationships… I mean, do you have any special requirements about dating, or is it just like normal guys, or…" he stopped talking. I took in what he was asking him, surprised that he'd obviously considered this carefully.

"There are a few things, but nothing major. Nothing that would disrupt my staying in Fairy Tail" I stated. He smiled up at me and nodded.

"Yeah, that's good, I was worried I'd have to arrange some time for you to visit Sabertooth because of 'circumstances'" he obviously was referring to something sexual as he avoided my gaze. I sighed.

"Er Gramps… there is a sort of Dragon Slayer mating season, but not what you're thinking of" I said flatly. He furrowed his brow.

"Mating season?" he reiterated. "So it's not…"

"No. For a dragon, or for us slayers, there are three basic Instincts, which become especially enhanced around, or directed towards, our mates. Me and Sting both believe that we are mates but we aren't going through with the Mating Ritual yet because… well, we don't think it would be best given that we're in different guilds and everything" Makarov seemed to take all this in, his eyes showing measured, and careful, thinking going on inside his head.

"So… you want to be Mates but can't?" he asked.

"Kinda… more like we want to be Mates _but have decided not to yet_ " I corrected. Again his vision became inwardly focused.

"You said three instincts. If I may ask, what are they? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, or if it would be uncomfortable" he inquired. I shook my head, I was finding this a little awkward, but it was nice to have his views on the matter.

"It's fine… anyways the three instincts are very specific. Firstly, there's Sense, this is where our sense of smell, hearing and sight comes from, they're naturally better, but with our Mate after the ritual we'd be able to scent each other out from across very long distances." I paused to see if he had any questions, he just let me continue. "Then second there's Attachment. For a Dragon Slayer their bonds with their friends and family is very strong, they have a strong will to protect their own. This is super strong for their Mate though, they'll want to protect them from any threat, treat them well all the time and be with them as much as possible" he nodded, a faint smile at hearing this, "Then last there's… ummm…. Mating. This is the ritual which binds two Dragons. Each will have a mark on their bodies, usually the back of their neck or hand, which signifies their bonding. No matter how hard you try the bond can't be broken and the mark is permanent" I stated finally. He went quiet for a time after hearing all this. We stopped off at a cluster of stray trees to rest for a few moments and to allow our thoughts to collect. Eventually Gramps spoke up.

"So, basically, you and Sting would become inseparable if you two were bonded, right?" I nodded, glad that he had understood. "That's interesting… I have to admit Erza told me a little of what she knew about Dragon Slayer relationships when she mentioned it, however this puts things into a new light." He commented. That statement made me recall Erza's misinterpretation of mine and Sting's relationship when we were in the infirmary.

"Does this change anything with the guilds?" I asked, suddenly fearful that Gramps would keep me and Sting apart. He saw my expression and frowned, shaking his head vigorously.

"No, of course not. Just because you're in different guilds doesn't mean you can't have a relationship, even if it's with another guy… and if you two wanted to bond I would support you as best you can, just like any father should do for his children" Gramps said with conviction on his features. I smiled broadly, eyes tearing up a little at hearing this, although I wouldn't admit that to anyone.

"Thanks Gramps…" I whimpered. He smiled and laughed, patting me on the shoulder with an enlarged hand.

"It's okay Natsu" he said.

/

 **Sting POV**

It was rapidly approaching the time for Makarov and Natsu's arrival. At about 12:30PM I was given a letter by Rogue. Apparently it had been sent by Mirajane using magic to inform me of their Master's departure from Fairy Tail, and his estimated time for arrival at the Sabertooth guild. I decided to send Yukino and Rogue out to greet them along with Lector and Frosche, figuring that they'd help to ensure Makarov was in a good mood, and Natsu didn't destroy anything before actually reaching the guild. I had never really put much thought to Natsu's normally destructive habits, however now I was beginning to realise what Makarov and the others must feel like, trying to ensure he doesn't go overboard, or destroy something accidently.

Frosche entered my office around 2:15PM. "Um, Sting…" he said as he came in.

"What is it Frosche?" I asked. He gave his usual hand up.

"The Master and ummm… Natsu, have arrived in town. Rogue sent me here to tell you that" he said. I patted him on the head.

"Thanks Frosche" I said politely, motioning him to follow me out of the office. "Let's go wait for them out front".

"Okay" he agreed.

/

We waited for only a few minutes before Rogue came into view. Filing behind him was Makarov, and then Natsu, and finally Yukino, who was obviously trying to ensure she kept an eye on Natsu. I silently thanked some unknown deity that they had made it safely without any obvious trouble from Phantasm or the such. When Natsu saw me his face lit up. I grinned, trying to look welcoming to both him and Makarov, but really just excited to see Natsu again.

"Welcome to Sabertooth, Master Makarov" I greeted politely, giving him a short bow. He chuckled.

"No need for over formality Sting, just call me Makarov whilst I'm here" he said. I smiled and nodded.

"Alright then. It's good to see you Natsu" I waved at him. He took one step forward, but then stopped himself, obviously momentarily forgetting where we were.

"It's good to see you too, Sting" he replied.

"That's _Master_ " Rogue correct. I stopped him.

"Nah, I don't care for all that formal stuff" I said, "There's nothing wrong with just 'Sting'" I smirked. Rogue rolled his eyes and sighed. Yukino smirked. I gestured for them to follow me inside. "We'll show you around later, however first I would just like make sure everything was okay, if you would both follow me into my office" I said, leading them through the guild. I noticed the guild had assembled as I had instructed, bowing politely as Makarov passed them. He smirked at this as we pressed on.

Once we reached my office I turned to Rogue. "Rogue, if you would please go to the inn, could you make sure Mas-… Makarov's room is ready please. Oh… and Natsu's too" I said to him. He frowned but then complied.

"Would you like me to take their bags there too?" he asked. I looked at them for confirmation, which they both gave with a nod. At that Rogue took them and disappeared without another word.

"Yukino, could you please go and get the other mages which are on job analysis to meet us in the office a little later?" the celestial mage nodded curtly before going off to fulfil my request. Once that was over I brought Natsu and Makarov inside.

/

"Right, now that's out of the way" I said as I took a seat, Makarov and Natsu sitting opposite, "Is there anything you would like to ask?".

Makarov was first. "How many mages did you select for analysis?" he said, straight to the point.

"Seven… if that's too many I can cut it down or-"

"Seven's fine" Makarov said with an all-too-knowing smirk. "It'll keep me busy the next few days" I nodded, grinning without meaning to.

Natsu smiled. "Can I asked something?" he said playfully. I nodded, wondering what he would ask. "Can I kiss you?". I cocked my head, but notice Makarov's face remained passive. I decided to take the risk.

"Sure" I said with widening grin. Natsu leaned over the desk and pressed his lips to mine. He kept it short and chaste, but he obviously just wanted to be close to me again. "That better?" I asked cockily, he smiled happily and nodded. A knock at the door interrupted us.

"Sting, the wizards are here" Yukino's voice sounded out. I looked to Makarov, who nodded.

"Come in then" I said. The five other wizards, and Yukino filed into the office, making it a bit more cramped. "Right, Makarov… these are the wizards who you'll be assessing, except Rogue of course" I introduced them.

"It's a pleasure to work with you" Rufus said.

"This is going to be fun" Orga commented.

"I'm ready to represent my guild" several others said.

Once pleasantries had been made I allowed the wizards to leave. "For today I thought it'd be best to give you some time to adjust. Once Rogue returns from the inn I'll have him take you there, until then make yourself at home in our guild" I said to Makarov. He nodded and stood, looking between me and Natsu.

"I'll be fine if you two want to…" he said, trailing off. I shook my head, turning my attention towards Natsu.

"I've got some work to be getting on with so I'm going to have to leave Natsu up to his own devices. I don't want any fights though, got that Natsu?" he pouted mockingly at that.

"Fine…"

"Good, if that's all I'll see you two downstairs and once that's done you'll have to wait on Rogue I'm afraid" Makarov smiled as walked over to the door, Natsu close behind.

"It's good to see you're such a diligent Master, as well as a competent wizard. We'll see ourselves downstairs, I want to talk to Natsu for a moment as we go" Makarov said. I nodded curtly, standing up and bidding them a good day.

/

 **Rogue POV**

I went as Sting instructed me. The inn had been ready for an hour it would seem so I just handed the bags to the lady at the desk, stating that I'd be back with the guests a little later and I just needed her to hold onto them for me. She smiled and complied, hiding them away in a back room somewhere. After this I promptly went back to the guild.

As I walked I began thinking about things. "So I've got to 'look after' that idiot Natsu?" I muttered, trying to work out how I could minimize his destructive tendencies. "He might be best just keeping to the guild for the time… that way he isn't loose around town" I thought aloud. Someone passed me and I suddenly stopped in my tracks. I looked around and scented the air. "That was a powerful magic…" I commented. The mage in question didn't appear to be anywhere in sight, in fact, there was no-one around, which was odd considering the time of day. "That couldn't have been my imagination" I said, turning and heading on towards the guild. "I'll have to look into that after this".

I reached the guildhall and swiftly entered. I was struck by the sudden explosion of noise coming from within. _I bet it's… of course_ I thought as I sought out the source of the ruckus. Sure enough Natsu was standing facing off against Dobengal. "I beat ya fair and square…" Natsu shouted.

"Maybe, but I wasn't using my full strength last time" Dobengal retorted. I watched my ninja-like guildmate as he argued with the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu growled subtly.

"I could still beat ya in one punch" he commented. I realised they must have been talking about the time Natsu burst into our guild and defeated Dobengal.

"No you couldn't" Dobengal said calmly.

"I could" Natsu replied heatedly. Suddenly Dobengal appeared behind Natsu.

"You couldn't" he said. I decided to step in. Before anything major could happen I melted into shadows and appeared behind the Teleporter mage.

"You can't attack our guests, that wouldn't be nice" I said from behind him, causing him to jump in surprise. Natsu laughed victoriously before a giant fist slammed him to the ground.

"Natsu, I thought Sting told you not to start any fights" Makarov chided. "Apologise". Natsu looked downtrodden as he apologised to Dobengal. In turn he too apologised to Natsu, after a few whispered threats from me.

Once that was over I dragged Natsu over to Makarov. "Your rooms are ready at the inn if you would like to some with me" I said. Makarov nodded.

"Thank you Rogue" he said politely, "That could've been a diplomatic _issue_ ". I nodded.

"Somehow I don't think Sting would've reacted as quickly" I said, Makarov shook his head.

"Make fun of him all you want; from what I've seen of him as a Master he seems to be doing a fine job" the wizened old mage said. I laughed.

 _"_ _Sting our hardworking, diligent, and very confident Master"_ I chuckled sarcastically, "You should see him most of the time, I often have to wake him up from his desk". Makarov grinned.

"Trade mark of overworked Guildmasters" he commented, "Let's go to the inn" he said. I nodded, still chuckling, before leading them out into the town. Oddly, Natsu had been very quiet during that discussion, although I noted he avoided eye contact with me as I brought up the topic of Sting.

 _Wonder what's going on inside that head of his?_ I thought.

/

We reached the inn and the lady from before handed Natsu and Makarov their respective bags and room keys, briefly listing the rules of the inn. I watched uninterested, however once they were finished they headed up the stairs, Natsu still oddly quiet, which put me on edge more than I'd care to admit. Makarov shot me a smile and a curt nod; a silent thank-you and permission to return to the guild. I nodded back before turning and leaving.

Once I was outside I stopped once more. _That scent_ … I thought as I sniffed about, following my nose. There was definitely some powerful magic around here. I became drawn to a side street. Facing down it I saw an elderly man with a cloak drawn tight around him. He shot me a toothless grin. _Him?_ I questioned cautiously. I had been informed about the assailants associated with Phantasm and was aware they could take many forms, even possibly a seemingly harmless old man. He gestured for me to come closer; I did so reluctantly.

"Hello, your Rogue from Sabertooth, right?" he asked. I nodded but didn't respond verbally. "Oh good, I've got a job I'd like to have you take on". I cocked my head.

"Jobs can be requested at the guild, just fill out a request form and we'll put it up" I stated, getting ready to leave this minor annoyance alone and search for the real magic. The old man coughed.

"It's just… about this coin see?" he said. I pricked my ears up. _Coin?_ He seemed to register my interest and continued. "Yeah, look" he pulled it out of one of his inner pockets. As soon as I saw it my instincts went wild. _That's the source of the dark magic_ … I thought, subconsciously sniffing the air. The coin appeared to be made of some copper-like metal and was a little bent around the corners, forming odd shapes.

"Okay, where did you get that?" I asked suspiciously. He grinned.

"It's been in my family for generations, but recently it's been giving off some weird magic, I could sense it so I figured it should be looked at by a guild" he informed me. He stepped forward and offered it to me. "Will you look into it?" he asked. I nodded before I took the offered item and…

Everything went black.

/

 **Sting POV**

I worked through most of the day, the only interruption was Yukino, informing me of Natsu's little spat and then of Rogue taking Natsu and Makarov to the inn. When I looked up at the clock I noticed it was around 4PM and then I realised something. _Where's Rogue?_

He would have normally come to give me a full report after Natsu and Makarov had been taken to the inn. This worried me so I got up and entered the main section of the guildhall. _No sign of him here either?_ I questioned looking around. "Hey Sting, what's up?" Lector asked as he saw me.

I waved. "Is Rogue anywhere?" I asked the exceed. He thought about it for a while.

"Nah, haven't seen him in a while" he commented. This sent a little feeling of worry through me for my friend. I turned and searched through a bit more of the guild, Lector assisting me. Once I found Yukino I had her help me to. After about ten minutes of now most of the guild searching the nearby area as well as the guild hall Rogue was no-where to be found. Then I saw Natsu enter.

"Hey Natsu," I called out to him. He shot me a bright smile and came over, but frowned as he saw my obviously worried expression, as well as all the commotion around us.

"What's up Sting?" he asked. I scratched my head.

"Was Rogue at the inn?" I asked. Natsu shook his head. "He's vanished then, he's not here or apparently in town anywhere" I said. He cocked his head.

"That's weird" he replied. "Want me to help?" I shook my head. "You stay here and just keep out of the way. Some wizards here might not feel comfortable with you helping them after _your little episode earlier_ " I commented with a brief scowl. Natsu looked downwards.

"Sorry…" he mumbled. I smirked, he was so adorable right now, but I couldn't kiss him in front of everyone; I reserved myself to touching his shoulder.

"It's alright, just keep your head down for now, okay?" he nodded, "I've sent Yukino around town with a few wizards to do a sweep search, I'm going to mine and Rogue's place" Natsu smirked at hearing this and I suddenly realised what he was thinking. "You wanna come with me?" I asked. He nodded a little shyly. _He's too fucking cute_ … I screamed inwardly, frustrated at being unable to kiss him right now. _Right now…_

/

We made it to my shared apartment, me furiously unlocking the door. Once we were inside Natsu, who had been quietly following me with an adorable mischievous smirk and glint in his eyes cocked his head slightly to the side. "This place is nice" he commented. I smiled at him.

"Yeah, although if it wasn't for Rogue, me and Lector would've left this place a mess most of the time" I admitted honestly. Natsu stepped closer to me his smile growing wider.

"The same as me and Happy then" he stated, which I nodded in agreement to. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Show me in then, whilst we do that we can check if Rogue's here or not" he said. He removed one arm from around my waist, but kept the other firmly in place. I reached down and interlocked out fingers as we walked around the place. Natsu commented on a few of mine and Rogue's belongings, asking questions like 'where did you get that' or, more commonly, 'what is that'. I was quite happy to answer his questions, grateful that he took an interest, however one thing kept me on edge; the definitive _lack_ of Shadow Dragon Slayer. Lastly I took Natsu to my bedroom.

"So Rogue's not here then, either" I said annoyed at myself for hoping he was. Natsu registered my tone and we both sat down on the bed at his request.

"Sting, don't worry, we'll find Rogue" he said confidently. He smiled at me as he slipped his arms around my shoulders. "Then we're going to… you know, have to tell him about us". I nodded weakly.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could tell him, and Yukino, and the exceeds… tomorrow maybe?" Natsu nodded in agreement.

"That's fine… the sooner we get that out of the way the sooner we can hang out together in _here_ or in my inn room, the bed is massive and soft" he said with a sly wink. I smiled broader at that, bringing Natsu closer to me.

Our lips brushed over each other. "That sounds good, we gotta try it out" I said before we kissed. Natsu, obviously instinctively due to the prolonged separation, began to deepen the kiss. Admittedly I was just as desperate for this as he was, my Dragon Slayer instincts driving me strongly, and so I let him enter my mouth with his wet muscle. Our tongues slid over each other in a quick battle for dominance, however just as it appeared I was the victor we were quickly forced apart by the opening of the front door.

"Sting, you in here?" Lector's voice rang out. Natsu looked worriedly at me for a brief second. I silently motioned for him to sit there, or at least look like he was looking around, whilst I went to talk to my red exceed buddy.

"Lector…" I said as I found him near the door. "I was just searching around here for Rogue" I explained. He nodded.

"Yeah, Yukino sent me to find you, said to tell you we still ain't found Rogue yet and will keep looking" I nodded in acceptance.

"Yeah, he isn't around here either, I'm going to do one quick scent and then head back down to the guild to see if he arrived there, alright" he smiled and gave a thumbs up.

"Yeah, me and Frosche are giving am exceed eye's view of the town and using it to see if we spot anything. He's pretty shaken up by Rogue's disappearance so I should probably get back to him" I smiled.

"You're a good friend, off you go then" I said, giving him a pseudo-confident smile as he left.

Once he was gone Natsu reappeared. "Still no luck, huh" he said. I nodded grimly.

"I'm starting to get really worried, I mean… what if… what if Phantasm got him. From what I've seen of that guy's powers it may very well be in his capability" I said shaken. Natsu got up close to me and entwined his arms around my waist, hands trailing up the arch of my back.

"Don't worry" he said soothingly, "I know we're going to find him. If we head back to the guild now I'm going to make sure Gramps comes and helps out". The reminder of Makarov suddenly made me think.

"Is he alright? We didn't check on Makarov before now, he could have been captured too…" I blurted before Natsu stopped me with a quick kiss. I melted into his heat and stopped my worrying momentarily.

"Gramps is fine, just focus of Rogue for now, alright?" I nodded more confidently than before.

"Yeah, let's go back to the guild." He nodded, untangling himself from around me.

 **End of Chapter 22**

 **Authors note; Hey guys I may have only got a few reviews but thanks all the same. It means a lot to me that you take the time to read my amateur story and I would like to thank you all dearly my readers. Once again if you have any reviews to give, or any comments at all to make, especially constructive critisms on how to improve my writing then it would be most appreciated.**


	23. Chapter 23 - Lost and Found

**Chapter 23 – Lost and Found**

 **Sting POV**

We walked once again in quiet through the town streets back to the guild. There had been no sightings of Rogue in a few hours now and I was growing increasingly restless. In an effort to keep me calm Natsu was busy making a few _risky_ comments as we walked, discussing places that 'looked good for a bite to eat' or 'places that reminded him of our time in Magnolia'. I half-listened to his comments, however they did not quell the worry rising in my chest. Makarov had been informed by Yukino and was now going to the guild to help in the search, even co-ordinate so assistance from Fairy Tail and other guilds if it came to it. We were going to meet him there and discuss things further.

"Once I get to the guild I'm going to have to discuss things with Makarov." I said to Natsu, who nodded obediently, "Then I might have you join the search depending on what we decided, alright?" Another obedient nod, followed by a beaming smile.

"I'll do whatever I can to help you" he said. I smiled as we turned to corner and came upon the guildhall. We entered and was met by a cluster of chaos. Wizards ran around everywhere, giving messages to Makarov and Yukino, who were at the center of it all. I bid Natsu well with a quick nod and went over to the pair. By the time I got to them Natsu had been swept up by the chaos and was now lugging files around. "Yukino, what's going on?" I asked as I dodged and oncoming guild mage. She handed me a paper.

"We've sent some letters out via magical means to ask for assistance from Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Fairy Tail, and Blue Pegasus. We were just about to send them out." I took an offered copy and scanned over it.

"We should change this bit here" I jabbed at the paper, "Ask them for any assistance to offer be put on standby in case we need it" I said. Makarov nodded.

"I did consider that, but given the situation figured the more allies we had helping us the better" the old wizard commented. I shook my head.

"Unlike Fairy Tail, Sabertooth has a bit of a reputation, this'll make it look like we're begging and won't help matters much in the long run" I replied. Makarov took this under advisement.

"That's well thought out" he remarked. I smiled at the compliment.

"I've had several years of bad attitude to undo recently" I replied. He chuckled before turning his attention to another paper. This one was a map of the town with a few routes which could've resulted in Rogue being captured; we were looking into _every_ scenario possible, especially the worst case 'Phantasm' ones.

Suddenly there was a loud CRASH as the halls doors opened. In staggered Rogue.

I bolted over to him and put my arm around his shoulders to support him. He was badly injured, with several broken bones. "I'm… sor-" he said, collapsing. Natsu came over and helped me lay him down onto a table. A few of the wizards who knew supportive magic's came over, using their powers to keep him as alive as possible, as a few others went out to find medics.

When the medics arrived they hurried around Rogue. I stood anxiously with Makarov and Yukino, neither of whom had spoken since Rogue's untimely arrival. "He looks in bad shape…" Natsu commented as he came to stand beside me. I shook my head and buried my face in my hands. "We've been injured before, me and him, but never in town…" I said. Natsu subtly rubbed comforting circles into my back.

"I shouldn't have said anything…" he muttered soothingly, "I'm an idiot". I went back to looking at Rogue, who was being patched up by the medics, having bandages wrapped around his torso and arms. Watching I suddenly felt a pang of guilt, swiftly followed by a surge of anger.

"I'm going to make them pay…" I whispered, violence and venom in my tone. Natsu shivered and withdrew his hand.

"I don't like seeing you like this" he whispered. I glared at him, however I soon regretted this by the hurtful expression he wore. _Sorry Natsu… I didn't mean to lash out_ … I thought apologetically. The medics finished their work. The leader of the team, a short and thin woman with bright golden hair, approached our group as some guild wizards carefully took Rogue to the infirmary.

"He's in a pretty bad way" the medic chief said, "He's got two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and a few minor broken bones in his arm. We've put his shoulder back in, however he didn't wake up or react in any way to this… there's got to be something weakening him so badly that he is being kept in a near comatose state" she finished. I took this information in carefully.

"Maybe he's under some kind of spell?" I suggested. The chief agreed.

"Yeah. We've got to go back to the hospital, however we'll send some staff to check up on him tomorrow. If anything changes call for us immediately" she ordered. I smiled and thanked her as she left.

Makarov was the first to speak after that. "If Rogue's under a spell I'll see if it can be broken, I've got a good bit of experience in breaking dark curses" he stated. I nodded.

"I'll see that he's looked after. Yukino…" I looked towards the celestial mage. She was obviously upset. "Yukino… are you going to be all right?" She wiped her eyes and nodded.

"It's fine, what do you need Sting?" she asked between tears. I cocked my head, eyes full of concern for my guildmates.

"If you're sure you're okay then could you… keep an eye on things here for a bit. I want to go and take the route Rogue would've taken back to the guild" Yukino nodded, however Makarov spoke up.

"Perhaps first we should see to Rogue?" he inquired. I agreed.

"Yeah, that first. Natsu, you come with us, your nose is sharper than even mine, if you notice anything weird, like some dark spell, tell us" Natsu nodded, obviously eager to be helpful.

"I will".

/

We entered the infirmary and all the other wizards left. Makarov went over to one side of Rogue's bed with Yukino beside him, whilst me and Natsu took to the other side. The elderly wizard held his hands over Rogue's body and a golden glow emitted from his hands.

"Seems… like… yes there's definitely some kind of spell present… but's it's faint, too faint to identify or deal with right now" he said, voice showing obvious signs of annoyance and defeat.

"It's all right, at least we know the caus-" I was interrupted as Rogue shot bolt upright. "Rogue?" I questioned. The Shadow Dragon opened his eyes and looked straight at me.

"Sting? Wait… how did I get to the guildhall?" he looked around confused. I furrowed my brow.

"You came in through the main doors. You've been missing for a few hours, we sent out search parties around the town and found no sign of you" I said. Rogue took all of this in.

"All I remember was… I left the inn, then I was walking and… it's all black. I know I was having some weirdly _real_ nightmare. It felt like I was being controlled by the Future me" he said, face contorted in deep thought, obviously trying to piece things together. Yukino hugged Rogue.

"I'm so glad your safe" she said. Rogue huffed and puffed out a few breaths before Yukino let him go and lay down. "Sorry" she apologised.

Makarov looked him over, observing everything that had just went on. "Seems you've been affected by a memory spell then" he stated. I nodded in agreement.

"Seem's so" I said. Just then Lector and Frosch burst in.

"Rogue" the pair said in unison. They briefly hugged him before going to sit on the end of his bed. "So what's going on?" Lector asked us.

"Seem's Rogue was attack, but has had his memories changed" I informed the exceed. He looked at Rogue with a confuse look.

"So you don't remember anything about where you went?" Rogue shook his head.

"Nothing, just that I left the inn then… black, darkness." He reiterated for the two newcomers. Frosch babbled about being afraid for him, however he held the exceed tightly to comfort him. After a few minutes of questioning we let Rogue rest.

Makarov said that he wanted to send for Wendy, which I agreed to, knowing how helpful she could be, whilst Yukino wandered off, obviously deeply upset about all this. This left me and Natsu, as well as Lector, alone, as Frosch decided to stay with Rogue.

"So what ya gonna do now Sting?" Lector asked as we walked along the guild's halls. I shrugged.

"We've sent for Wendy, informed the local hospital, and have scoured the town… there's nothing we can really do for now so I'm just going to do one last look over my paperwork, then I'm heading home" Lector took this well, nodding and smiling.

"That's good… what about you Natsu?" he asked. I gave him a quizacal look. Ever since hearing that Natsu would be coming Lector had done nothing but complain about his destructive nature, as well as the 'fact' that I was a better Dragon Slayer than him. It surprised me when Natsu shot Lector a smile.

"I wanna go look around town for a bit, do you think you could show me around?" he asked. Lector nodded.

"Sure, I know a few places around here which are good for a bite to eat too" he added. This made Natsu smile brighter, he never let down the opportunity for food.

"Thanks Lector, let's go then" he said enthusiastically. Lector shot me one last look.

"See ya later Sting" he called as he and Natsu were let loose on town. _It's good to see them getting along_ I thought as I watched them run off.

"But be careful" I called out after them. No need for Natsu going missing like Rogue did.

"We will" they responded in unison. I smiled as I walked back to my office.

"Well… today's been hectic" I said aloud.

/

Later that evening I went home, checking up one last time on Rogue, to find him asleep with Frosch curled up in ball beside him. He muttered a little in his sleep, but other than that he seemed fine. Oddly his injuries seemed to have actually healed a bit since the last time I saw him a few hours ago. _That's odd… but it can wait_ I thought as I bid farewell to Yukino, who was talking with some of the Sabertooth wizards in the main section of the guildhall. She didn't appear to be going anywhere soon, obviously afraid of leaving Rogue in the guildhall. I silently quelled my own fears for his safety as I assured her he'd be okay, before leaving for my apartment.

When I reached the apartment I was quite surprised with what I found. Lector was messing around with Natsu, flying about whilst Natsu tried to grab him from midair. When I entered I shot them a confused look.

"You're here Natsu?" I asked the Fire Dragon, although I really held no objection.

"Yeah, Lector brought me over" he said, pointing towards the red exceed who had landed on the sofa.

"I thought I'd let him hang out here for a bit. I was concerned for his safety being left alone in that inn room with an attacker around town, especially since the attacker could take out Rogue." The exceed explained. Natsu scowled.

"I'm perfectly capable of taking out anyone who I want to" he said smugly.

Lector smirked. "But you're only a first generation, Sting and Rogue are _waaay_ more powerful, if they took out Rogue, I'm _suuuure_ they could take out you" he teased. Natsu just smirked back.

"You and I must remember the Grand Magic Games differently then, since I'm pretty sure I beat both Rogue _and_ Sting at the same time, and without much damage to myself, I might add" he retorted. I coughed to distract him.

"Still in the room, ya know?" I said. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah, I know" he said cockily. I so wanted to punch him, but refrained, since there was something I else I had been meaning to talk to him about.

"Right… Lector, could you give me and Natsu a minute to talk?" I asked. He cocked his head as if to ask why but got up and left anyway. I used my advance hearing and smell to detect in case Lector was listening in. When I heard the closing of my bedroom door I figured I'd be safe. "Natsu…" I said. He grinned at me coming so very close I momentarily lost my train of thought.

"What is it Sting?" he said, voice soft and wistful. I breathed out unevenly before giving in and kissing him. He slipped his arms around me before I pulled him down onto the seat on top of me. We kissed for a few moments before he pulled away. "You were going to ask me something" he said, obviously aware that Lector was only in another room. He got up and sat down next to me, however he kept his hand on my thigh.

"Um… right… well I wanted to ask you if you think it's okay to tell Rogue and them… tomorrow maybe?" I said. He smiled warmly at me before resting his head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around his torso.

"Yeah, I'm fine with that… do you want me to be there, or… should I wait in another room? We could tell a few at a time if that's better" he said. I looked at him, he returned my gaze, love and care obvious. I hadn't actually considered _any_ of these questions myself, it was surprising that Natsu had. _He's obviously been thinking a bit about this_ I noted _I wonder if he's afraid… or just excited?_

"Err… I think I might just tell Yukino, Rogue, Frosch and Lector all in one go, it'll save us a lot of trouble of finding them individually and telling them. You can be there if you want to, or I'll just tell them" I said, responding to his list of questions.

"Just come tell me that you're going to do it and I'll be right by your side" he said with a nod, before planting a kiss on my cheek. "Thank you _my little dragon_ " I said, reveling in being able to use that nickname after four days of not saying it. It was like the sweetest possible feeling and it appeared to be having the same effect on Natsu, as he kissed me a lot more passionately after a brief moment. We stayed kissing for a few minutes before we finally decided to break apart and go find Lector. _Tomorrow's going to be interesting_ I thought as we found the exceed asleep on my bed. Natsu grinned at me as we went back downstairs.

"Looks like we're alone for a bit longer" he said slyly. I nodded.

"Just be quiet" I said as I sat down on the sofa next to him. He sat on my lap with a victorious look on his face. _I've missed him more than I thought_ I said to myself as a certain 'part' of me began to rise to attention. He enjoyed kissing and grinding down on me for all of ten minutes before we both realised if we continued any longer then we'd wake Lector. Reluctantly Natsu sat beside me and we chatted, catching up on what each other did in the past few days, before he left for his inn room at about 7PM.

I bid him good night, and told him to stick to the main streets to make sure he didn't get abducted. Natsu laughed, mocking anyone who could even _try_ to abduct him, before he left.

 _That idiot better be okay_ I thought as I watched him leave _Because I really want him there when I tell the others tomorrow_.

/

 **The Next Day**

I awoke the following morning to find Lector already awake and eating. "G'Morning Sting" he greated me.

"Good morning buddy" I replied as I made some quick breakfast. He watched me as he ate.

"Sting?" he asked as I sat down in front of him.

"What is it Lector?" I asked inbetween mouthfuls of food.

"Well… What were you an Natsu talking about last night?" he asked. I momentarily stopped eating. _Did he hear us?_ I thought worriedly.

"Erm… what do you mean, did you listen in on us?" I asked. He shook his head and I relaxed.

"Nah, it's just… I could hear you talking for a while, then I knida fell asleep. But when I woke up I could still hear ya both downstairs" he explained.

"Oh, it was just about his stay here, and about… Rogue" I lied, sort of anyways. Lector took this in.

"Alright then, I was just curious" he said, getting up. "I'm gonna go now, I want to see how Frosch is doing at the guild, you okay for me to go?" I nodded.

" 's fine" I said, mouth still eating. Lector smiled and flew out the front door. "I've gotta go soon too" I spoke aloud, "Gotta be at the guild in time to see Natsu before the 'big reveal'". I spoke with a confidence I knew I didn't really have, without Natsu there I would _never_ be able to admit to Rogue and Yukino and the exceeds that I loved him.

 _Am I a coward for that?_ I questioned as I finished my breakfast, _Natsu didn't seem to have any problem telling those guys in Fairy Tail about us when I prompted him, yet when he does the same to me I just freeze up inside_.

/

 **At the Guild**

I arrived at the guild about half an hour later. It was about 9AM and the guild was packed. Apparently news of Rogue's disappearance had reached even our far off members, who were all away on jobs; they all had arrived in case we needed them. I smiled at this thought, that my guild, despite its history, banded together so strongly for a comrade and friend. _Rogue would be happy about this too_ I thought. I kept an eye out among the crowd as I walked around though. Eventually I found what I was looking for, Makarov was sitting in one of the most spacious pockets amongst the crowd.

He looked up from the book he was reading as I approached. "Good morning Sting" he said.

"Good morning Makarov" I replied, "What are you reading?" I asked, looking over his shoulder.

"A book on old magic spells. It's from that fellow Rufus' collection, he lent it to me when I inquired into if he knew anything about the sort of old magic Phantasm might be using. Or even the spell that's on Rogue. He seemed quite happy to lend me a hand, although he did state that he can't remember any of his books having something on the topic, but I figured I'd check anyways" he explained. I went wide eyed hearing this. Rufus didn't normally let anybody even _touch_ the books from his own private collection, let alone sit here and read them.

"That was pretty generous of Rufus, he doesn't even let _me_ touch his collection" I commented. Makarov smiled.

"No offense, but in my experience Dragon Slayers and precious things don't go well together" he commented, I pouted.

"There's _some_ things too precious to a Dragon Slayer to destroy" I said, giving Makarov a subtle wink. He returned it. "Speaking of Dragon Slayers, where's Natsu?" I asked, looking around briefly. Makarov shrugged.

"He was out in the lobby of the inn this morning asking people if anyone had seen anything to do with the Rogue incident" the older Guildmaster said. I took this in, _he's trying his best to be helpful_ I noted.

I nodded at Makarov, "I've gotta go to my office, but if you see Natsu, or Yukino, would you mind telling them that I'm in my office and would like to speak to them" Makarov nodded.

"Will do. Oh… and by the way, Wendy should be here around noon. She said she was taking the train because the extra stuff she's bringing is too heavy for her to lug here on a walk" I nodded as I began to walk away.

"I'll send a few guild wizards to pick her up then" I said as I waved Makarov adieu.

Once I reached my office I unlocked it and went inside, leaning against the back of the door upon re-closing it. I let out a heavy sigh. "It's getting more and more crazy. First Phantasm and now Rogue…" I said weightily "and I'm going to tell them about Natsu" I reminded myself. An image of a smiling Natsu popped into my head, causing my own smile to shine out brightly. _No matter how crazy things get I know Natsu will be there to help me_ I thought as I went and sat down. There was a little unfinished paperwork on my desk from yesterday since I got distracted with the whole Rogue thing.

I sat working for no more than twenty minutes before I heard a knock at the door. I didn't need to hear them to know who it was; their scent was crystal clear to me. "Enter Natsu" I shouted out. Natsu entered with a bright smile on his face.

"Gramps said you wanted to speak to me" he stated as he closed the door behind him. I stood up and went over to him, planting a kiss on his lips.

"Yeah… I'm gonna wait for Yukino to arrive and come to my office, then I'm going to… ask her to bring Lector and Frosch to Rogue's room. We'll be alone in there and then… you know" I said. He snaked his arms around me as I spoke, pulling me to his chest.

"They'll be fine Sting… you're their friend, guild mate, and master. Do you really think one little detail will change any of this?" he said, obviously trying to quell my doubts. I smiled warmly at him, melting into his embrace. I could feel those eyes and their intense flames of love burning down on me as I nuzzled into his neck and chest.

"I love you" I murmured, "And thank you for putting up with me like this". He chuckled, a beautiful sound which set my chest fluttering.

"Hey, you had to put up with me dealing with Lisanna, and with me being all stupid and overprotective, _and_ with me being an idiot who was afraid to go home, remember?" He said with a grin. I grinned back, my hand snaking up his back to caress the point in-between his shoulder blades.

"Yeah, I remember" I responded. Natsu planted a kiss on my cheek.

"I love you too though" he added. I left kisses along his jawline, however we both paused as a knock at the door sounded.

"Sting?" Yukino's voice sounded through the wood. Me and Natsu leapt around. I had Natsu sit down on one of the chairs across from my own seat before I went over and opened the door for my guild's resident celestial wizard.

"Hey Yukino, I was just discussing some stuff with Natsu" I said as I allowed her to enter. She paused.

"Do you want me to wait for a bit?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No, I called you up here because I wanted to speak with you, Rogue, Lector and Frosch in private and figured that I could ask you to do that whilst I finish things up with Natsu, okay?" she nodded. She seemed to be a bit better than yesterday, a lot more of her confidence was back, and there was less obsessive worry in her tone and actions. I was silently thankful she wasn't worrying just because of one incident that _may_ have been because of me.

"Yeah, I can go find them for you. Do you just want to speak in Rogue's room, or in here?" she asked. I smiled.

"Rogue's room's fine" I responded. She gave a curt bow to me and Natsu before leaving to comply with my requisition. Once she was gone Natsu let out a withheld breath.

"Nearly let that out early" he chuckled. I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but now we're doing it for real" I said. He reached out and took my hand.

"Let's go then, we can meet them there" he said. I smiled once before planting a kiss on Natsu's knuckles. He stood up from the chair and we walked quietly to the infirmary room where Rogue was. Yukino was already there, along with the two exceeds.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We entered the room swiftly. Sting stood, all the wizards eyes on him as I closed the door. He was nervous, his scent and the sound of the rapid beating of his heart confirmed this. I considered just kissing him there, just like what he did to me when we were in that infirmary room back at Fairy Tail, however I figured that I should leave this up to him. _He needs to admit this to them more than I do, it's why he's been so afraid_ I commented mindfully. I just stood, admittedly very close to him, as he took in a few breaths.

"What's up Sting, why'd ya want to speak to us?" Lector asked from his position at the end of Rogue's bed.

Rogue himself was propped up on a few cushions with his exceed partner on his lap, and Yukino stood only an arm's length away from Sting, again beside Rogue's bed.

"Well… I've got something I wanted to tell you guys" he said. _This is it_ I thought, I was ready regardless of their reaction, although I _know_ they won't do anything to hurt Sting.

"Spit it out then" Rogue said abruptly. His attitude was almost as bad as Erza's, with only a few redeeming factors.

Sting sighed. "For the last little while… I've kinda been in a relationship with someone" he said. Yukino squealed.

"Oh, who is she?" she asked, suddenly excited. I noted that Yukino said 'she', however only smirked. My real attention was on the Shadow Dragon Slayer. I watched Rogue carefully, he was the one I wanted to make sure accepted me, although I don't really know why.

"Um… well… there's two things you should know first" he said, "Firstly it's not a _she_ …" he let this sink in. Lector was the first one to speak.

"Sooooo… you're in love with a guy?" he asked casually, but clearly interested. Sting nodded.

"Yeah, I'm gay" he admitted. Lector smirked.

"So who is _he_ then?" he asked. Sting breathed out carefully. Throughout the whole conversation Rogue's face remained impassive. _That's unnerving_ I thought.

"I'm kind of dating," he looked around to me and then I stepped forward, "Natsu". On cue I took his hand and stepped forward. Yukino and Lector sweat dropped, but once again Rogue remained impassive. The only noise was our breathing. Until Frosch spoke.

"Rogue got it right, Fro thought so too" he said. I furrowed my brows as Sting's jaw dropped. Both Sting, Yukino and Lector all looked towards the Shadow Dragon Slayer.

"You could tell right?" I asked the _still_ impassive Dragon Slayer. Sting seemed to be at a loss for words.

He shrugged, but broke his impassive appearance, a smirk forming on his face. "I've kind of guessed it for a while" he admitted. Sting found his voice hearing this.

"How long? When? How…?" he asked his best friend.

Rogue sighed, Yukino was looking intently at us, then at Rouge, then back again. "Well… you told me about your plan to befriend Natsu before you left right?" Sting nodded, "And said it was a 'success' when you returned, right?" Once again Sting nodded, "But did you not notice your scent?" Sting cocked his head.

"My scent?" I looked intently at Sting. I knew that Wendy and Gajeel were able to smell our pheromones on me, but they never said anything about Sting, I figured he would've only started to release that kind of scent when we started our relationship.

"Wendy and Gajeel figured it out by _my_ scent before we ever told them anything" I said, "But they never said anything about _Sting's_ scent" I added. Rogued looked at us for a moment.

"Well, Wendy and Gajeel spend a lot of time around you Natsu, but not much around Sting. They would have to get used to his scent to detect the changes and so they wouldn't have been able to tell that early on" Rogue explained patiently.

Yukino decided to interject. "I'm happy for you two but I'm confused about this 'scent' thing" she admitted. Sting spoke up.

"Yeah well… when a person likes someone they give off a certain scent, which Dragon Slayer's sensitive noses can pick up. But I can't figure out how _you_ knew Rogue, when _I_ didn't even realise I loved Natsu before I left" he directed his attention to Rogue, who had laid back and was smiling quite amusedly now.

"Every time you talked about Natsu, as an enemy or a friend, you always gave off a strange scent. I kind of put two and two together after a while, however I didn't say anything because I figured the three instincts would kick in eventually" he explained. Sting's eyes went wide.

"You've know all this time" he commented. I kissed him on the cheek, amused by his confused expression. This earned a slight squeal from Yukino, but a whistle from Lector.

"I'm happy you found someone too Sting, but did it really have to be this pyro" he stated. I pouted at him.

"Hey, it could've been worse" I retorted with a slightly dark grin, "It could have been Gajeel." Lector laughed at this before flying up to my eye level and offering his paw. I high fived him and Sting smiled at me. I returned the smile.

"Told you there was nothing to worry about" I said to him.

Then there was the crash from outside.

"PHANTASM" a cry sounded out.

"Spoke too soon" Sting said with a growl.

"Fuck" I said along with him as we turned to the door.

 **End of Chapter 23**


	24. Chapter 24 - This Means War!

**Chapter 24 - This Means War!**

 **Sting POV**

We both heard the cry. "PHATASM". It sounded like a group of wizards were fighting him, based on the cries of pain and groaning we heard. Me and Natsu looked at each other, his eyes had grown to a flaming rage. "Spoke too soon" I said with a guttural growl sounding from my throat.

"Fuck" was all Natsu said. I noticed he had placed himself between me and the door. Rogue was looking and listening intently.

"He'll want to threaten us again" I said to Natsu, "Not attack". Natsu shook his head.

"I don't want you going out there Sting" He said stubbornly. I placed my hand on his head and stroked his cheek with my thumb.

"I'm going out there" I said defiantly. He still continued to shake his head. "Natsu. I'm Master of this guild. I _have_ to go out there". He was adamantly against me leaving.

Rogue spoke up from his laying positon. "Sting has to go Natsu, although I know you won't let him" he said, obviously trying to reason with my fired up little Dragon Slayer. Natsu glared at Rogue. This caused a brief staring contest between them, during which Yukino made a move.

"I'll go out there" she said. I grabbed her shoulder with my free hand.

"Not going to happen. Natsu." I directed my gaze squarely on him "Let me go out there or I'll knock you out and go out there _alone_ " I said at last. The Fire Dragon Slayer made no move to change anything. I knew he won't let me go anyways, but given the opportunity I also know that he would never let me go out alone either. Before he could speak, however, a voice rang around the guild hall. "Master Sting! Natsu Dragneel! Your friends are starting to bore me. Come out or I shall turn this place to rubble and find your corpses" It was that damned dark wizard taunting us. This seemed to invigorate Natsu to action.

"Fine, you win. Let's go." He said bluntly. I smirked momentarily before I began considering the show down we were walking in on.

"Right, but Yukino. I want you to stay here with Rogue and the exceeds. If anything sounds wrong take the back entrance out and go and contact the Magic Council, got that?" she nodded reluctantly. Lector went to protest, however stopped as I gave him one last glance. I took Natsu's hand, kissed his cheek, then we both sprinted up to the main center of the guild.

/

The scene we arrived at was chaos. There was splinters of chair and table everywhere. Glass covered sections where drinks had been spilled or broken. Several mages were groaning in little groups as they had been thrown around obviously. At the guild doors stood Phantasm being held off by Makarov, Rufus and Orga. Rufus was holding a line of Ice Warriors as tempests swirled around him, the same spells he utilized at the Games, whilst Orga was maintaining a stream of black lightning. Makarov had thrown up a defensive light barrier to protect the trio. Phantasm just stood smirking as two of his servants stood before him holding up some kinda of glowing spectral barrier. He waved at us as we arrived.

"So the two lizards finally show themselves from under their rock" he commented. Rufus and Orga suspended their attack upon my entrance as Makarov maintained his shield in the event of a counterstrike. Once the attack subsided Phantasm's minions disappeared. I looked around at the scene before speaking.

"Yeah, we're here. What do you want?" I said with a tight rein on my anger. _Can't afford to lose my cool with this guy_ I reminded myself. Phantasm cocked his head.

"You didn't receive my present?" he said with that irritating, cocky, and condescending tone he uses.

I cocked my head, not rising to his challenge. "What present?" I inquired with a vague intrigue into his meaning.

"Why, the most wonderful present of all… _friendship_ " he said with a wide grin. Natsu growled at him.

"We don't want _any_ friendship with _you_ " he barked. I held my hand in front of him to stay him.

"Natsu." I commanded. He stepped back, but kept his flame engulfed fists up, ready to strike at a moment's notice. "You mean Rogue, right?" I directed this at Phantasm. He nodded.

"Yup. Little old Rogue. Little _powerful_ Rogue. Little… and deadly" he laughed maniacally. _This guy really is_ Insane _isn't he?_ I thought.

"What about me?" a voice wheezed from behind us. I whirled to see Rogue standing with Lector and Frosch, his hand out to support himself against the wall. Phantasm laughed all the more seeing my friend like this.

"You haven't noticed yet? Or is it you _can't remember?_ " Phantasm chided.

Makarov lowered his barrier. "Your spell. The one embedded in him" the little guild master said, stepping back to stand beside me. I nodded to Rufus and Orga and each took a few steps away, putting themselves between the maniac and our guildmates. Phantasm pointed at Rogue and Rogue suddenly began taking steps towards him. I looked at this with worry as Rogue's vision became clouded, almost sleepy.

"Yes, I put a curse on our Shadow Dragon friend." Phantasm said amusedly, "He'll keep on having nightmares night after night until he can sleep no more" I let out a growl.

"Undo it. NOW" I said. Natsu joined in my growling, taking a step towards his enemy. Rogue snapped out of his trance, and I darted over to him, Makarov close behind.

"He's… cursed me." Rogue said fatigued. I nodded grimly.

"Undo the curse… please" I begged the dark mage, a little change of tactic. He tutted.

"Not now. Not EVER." He laughed. Without warning Natsu lunged at him without me there to stop him. He landed one blow on Phantasm, however just phased through his body like he did against the servants. "It's useless, but nice try" the dark wizard commented, "Here's mine". He landed a blow straight to Natsu's gut, sending him spiraling into the wall. Natsu didn't get up; he crumpled like a rag doll, vision slightly glassy.

I almost leapt to his side. "Natsu…" I called out. He turned his head and smiled to me. _He's alive_ I rejoiced inwardly, before turning my attention once more to Phantasm, who hadn't moved a single step. "Undo the curse and leave" I commanded once more. He shook his head.

"I'm not going to do that. That curse will continue to plague your friend's mind as he sleeps. Day and night he'll live in fear until the end. Until the _very_ end he'll eventually be so tired he'll sleep forever and the curse will claim him." I looked at Rogue, his face was the picture of fear. Makarov examined him closely.

"There's something else in this curse…" he observed thoughtfully a faint light emitting from his body which enveloped Rogue. Phantasm clapped his hands.

"Your more observant than I thought fairy" he said, "There _is_ one more thing. I abducted your friend, although I'm sure you know, but what he doesn't remember is the TORTURE" the word sent a pang of guilt through me. _Rogue got tortured because of this guy… because he wants to get to me_ I blamed myself. Phantasm seemed to read my thoughts. "Yes well, I tortured him for hours, until I got what I wanted. The perfect nightmare" I looked at him, confused, angry and afraid.

"What _perfect nightmare?_ " I asked, not really expecting an answer. Surprisingly Phantasm actually gave one.

"The thing he fears more than anything. The thing he fears losing… the friends he's made. This curse will make that a reality." Phantasm seemed to regale in recounting this "The unique thing about him is his darkness has already been awakened and so it will slowly consume him until he murders… yes… murders you ALL" he said, laughing by the end. Natsu shifted and I was reminded of his injuries. Suddenly desperate just to be rid of the mage, and aware that he wasn't going to do anything to lift his curse I tried to send him away.

"GO." I commanded the dark wizard Phantasm. He bowed and took a few steps back.

"Very well. Enjoy your present" he said finally, before once more fading into the air. Makarov stood before he completely vanished.

"You have made an enemy of Fairy Tail and of Sabertooth. You have injured a comrade and threatened our guilds, do so at your own peril for now… THIS IS WAR" he shouted out. I smiled at his confident words, however Phantasm's disembodied voice rang out around the hall, high pitched and clearly laughing.

"Very well… This is our war, Makarov and Sting" he said with a chuckle, before vanishing completely.

"Someone get the medics" I shouted as soon as I could no longer scent the dark wizard, "And someone get Natsu to the infirmary".

/

The medics were still on standby after the Rouge incident so they got here at top speed alongside one of our guild's wizards. The particular wizard in question used a form of speed magic so was the most suited to going and getting help. The chief medic from before came over to where I was standing alongside Makarov and Yukino. I had asked Yukino how she had let Rogue get past her earlier. Apparently she had slunk off to the back of the guild and was standing by to run and contact the Magic Council, which was why Rogue was able to sneak away and observe the fight as he did. "Master Eucliffe," the medic started, "Where's the main patients?" I nodded over to the infirmary's direction.

"Follow me. Natsu was struck badly by the dark wizard whilst Rogue appears to be under some kind of curse" I stated flatly. She nodded in understanding.

"I'm afraid we're not best equipped to deal with magical aliments, however I can patch up Mr Dragneel" she said. I smiled at her.

"That's fine, Makarov… that is err… Master Dreyar, has called for Wendy Marvel of Fairy Tail, we're hoping her healing abilities will be able to cure Rogue" I explained. She seemed content with this as I opened the door to allow her into the adjoining rooms where we had put Rogue and Natsu.

"Hey… Sting" Natsu greeted from his place on the bed. He hadn't been able to move since that attack, however he still tried to get up regardless. I pushed him back down as the chief inspected him closely.

"He's got no real damage physically, just a few scrapes and bruises, although I agree that there is _something_ magical here…" she analysed cautiously, "I'm no wizard but I've had some experience with magical issues, it would seem that he has a significant _lack_ of magical energy. Did he have some sort of drain? Or was it that he used up all his energy in the fight?" she asked me. I shook my head.

"He definitely didn't use up his _practically limitless_ energy however… it _could_ be a drain" I said in response to the question. "When I was attacked back at Magnolia those magical creatures Phantasm summons were able to drain a significant amount of my magical energy with just a touch." I recounted. The medic nodded.

"Then it would stand to reason that he can too. Alright then, I'll have someone patch up Mr Dragneel's minor injuries later, and I'd recommend rest for the Fire Dragon Slayer magic to recover. Rouge on the other hand…" she turned to the arch which connected the two separate rooms. She wandered over and examined him. "His condition is much the same as last time, although from what I can see he's not getting very peaceful rest" I looked over her shoulder to find Rogue was scowling, he had fallen unconscious when we'd brought him in here earlier, however he didn't look so in pain as he did now. I remembered Phantasm's words 'perfect nightmare'. The medic seemed to be waiting on my explanation.

"He _is_ under the effect of a curse which effects his sleep" I confirmed, "But is there any sort of injuries he needs to have dealt with?" She shook her head.

"I've treated you both several times and you each seem to heal up pretty fast. Probably something to do with your magic… most of his injuries are gone, just the odd bit left here and there. If you're really bringing the Sky Maiden herself in, then I'm sure she can do more than we can right now" The chief said finally. I nodded.

"Thank you for your assistance" I said politely. She shook her head.

"It's our job, just like wizards have their own, we do this" she said graciously. I nodded in understanding before directing her to the other patients which seemed to be doing as badly, if not worse, than Rogue and Natsu.

 _Damnit, looks like Phantasm was telling the truth_ I thought angrily, a little hope that he was lying died inside of me then.

 _And now I've gotta care for Natsu too…_

/

 **Natsu POV, A few hours later**

For a few hours Sting filtered in and out of the room me and Rogue were in. He kept coming to see me, checking I was okay and 'getting better'. Each time he asked I always said I had 'more energy than a little while ago' although that wasn't strictly true. Honestly, I just felt like I had ridden on a train for a year, then got hit by one, then was forced into riding it for another year. In short; it was hell. But I put a brave face on for Sting since I knew all the fears that would be bubbling around inside his head. Me, Rogue, the Guild, and much more. All these would be causing him fear and pain, and yet there was nothing I could do but smile and say everything was going to be okay.

This feeling of helplessness just ate away at me, the instincts inside my chest begging my body to get up, kiss him, tell him… no, show him everything was going to be alright, and beat that Phantasm guy once and for all, unfortunately I wasn't in a position to do any of this.

My time in the room, though, did give me some ability to plan, as well as think about Phantasm. Rogue had stayed out of it since being put in here, asleep and snoring. I sometimes looked over at him and thought about what Phantasm had said about the curse. Every time I thought about those words 'murder' it made my heart wrench in two. One part of me felt sorry for him, especially knowing how messed up he had been when that Future Rogue had come after the Grand Magic Games, however my instincts to protect Sting made me angry and very nearly leap up and attack the sleeping mage. Despite all this I kept tightly ahold of these feelings, deciding to blame Phantasm for everything bad that had happened. Everything bad… and Sting I later realised.

It had occurred to me half an hour ago that, if I thought about it enough, it was Sting getting trapped in that staff which had led me to kiss him, and him to kiss me. In short, that event had resulted in us getting together, and no matter how much I tried to deny it I realised that if I honestly wished Phantasm had never done _any_ of this then I would also be wishing that me and Sting had never gotten together; and that pissed me off to no end. The worst thing was, though, that I couldn't tell my love, my _mate_ , any of this and that I would just have to swallow my fears and doubts for him, I'd have to keep my brave face on.

I did just this when Sting arrived around 1PM. He smiled at me, Yukino was nowhere to be seen, which was odd since she seemed to have stuck to him like a limpet every time he came to check up on us. "Hey Natsu, how ya feeling?" he asked in a moderately hushed tone. He'd been in enough to know that Rogue would still be asleep even if we talked.

"A little better, I can actually sit up now" I said with a smile, hoping this would reassure the blond. He sat down beside me on the chair that had been specifically place there for him by Yukino, returning the smile with one equally as warm.

"Good, that's good. Listen, Wendy's here. She's just arrived and would like to see you and Rogue" he said. I smiled none stop, _maybe… I could tell her about my problematic thoughts_ I monologued internally. Wendy may be younger but she still seemed to understand all about these feelings and stuff… if anyone could reassure me besides Sting then she could.

"If she's here then does that mean she can heal me up and I can leave now?" I asked, intent on getting the answer I wanted. Sting smirked and leaned in. He pressed a light kiss to my cheek.

"No. I want you to rest up and then we can go do _stuff_ tomorrow. Makarov's agreed that we'll start the jobs tomorrow, what with everything that's been going on it's best not to delay them, but it's also best to make sure everything's sorted out, okay?" he said. I nodded.

"Okay" I agreed. Sting smirked deeper.

"Thanks Natsu, now you be good… my little dragon" he whispered before getting up. I muttered a short profanity as his tone and loving gaze sent a tiny shot of energy to somewhere that _really_ didn't need it right now.

"He's such a prick sometimes, and he knows it" I muttered as he left the room.

/

Wendy entered a little later, about five minutes or so. When she saw me she looked a little shocked. "Natsu…" she said as she came over to the bedside. "It's alright, I can heal you and help you recover some energy" she said. I smiled at her, glad of her assistance.

"Hey Wendy, sorry about all this trouble" I greeted the blue haired girl. She shook her head as she outstretched her arms, a faint blue glow emitting outwards from her palms.

"It's fine Natsu, it's not your fault, I know" she said as she closed her eyes to concentrate. "Wow… that was some powerful drain spell… there's… there's still some of it left in you inhibiting a full magical absorption" she said as the glow intensified. I could feel my energy shifting about inside me as Wendy rearranged stuff. After a few moments she stopped, taking in a few breaths.

"There" she said definitively "That should do it." I gave her a thumbs up, immediately noticing the difference of her tinkering.

"Thanks Wendy, does this mean I can go now?" I said. She smiled and shook her head, which made me pout.

"No Natsu. Sting said you'd try something like that… you gotta rest for the remainder of today" she said, before turning to Rogue. I watched her march over there but decided to ignore her arguments as I swung my legs over the side of the bed, landing a slight bit wobbly. Once I regained my composure I watched over her shoulder.

"How's he doing?" I asked her. She shook her head grimly. I had been watching him every so often for a while now, however it was only when I got this close that I really saw the expression of mixed pain and fear that was so evident on Rogue's face.

"It's not good… this is a _really_ powerful spell" Wendy said. She held her hands over Rogue, a brilliant blue/white light emitting now, much stronger than the one she had used on me. I watched in fascination as Wendy, with her eyes closed, shifted her features from collected to almost pained and back again. I didn't dare disrupt her, holding even my breath, until she finally stopped. "It's no good, I can't break it" she sobbed. I patted her on the shoulder, regaining the breath I had withheld.

"It's all right, you tried your best" I said reassuringly. She just shook her head.

"It's because I'm weak. I'm not strong enough to undo Phantasm's curse" she explained. I growled lowly.

"You are not weak. You're a good healer… and Sting won't blame you if you can't do this. Heck… even Master Mavis and Gramps didn't know what that guy's powers were" I said with a confident grin. Wendy looked up at me through teary eyes.

"…Okay Natsu… you're right" she said. I sat back down on my bed and motioned for Wendy to come over. She did so, looking intently at me.

"Try again in a little while, recover your strength first" I instructed her. She nodded in agreement. I smiled, but this was a front for me gritting my teeth. I had something to ask her but I wasn't sure how to phrase it. "But while you rest… can I ask you something?" I said unsurely. Wendy cocked her head slightly to the right, a standard Dragon Slayer's action.

"What is it Natsu? Did I miss something that I needed to heal?" she asked with concern in her voice. I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. This action made me think of Sting momentarily, and how he always ran his hands through my hair when we… anyways, the image of Sting gave me the confidence I needed.

"No. It's not that you didn't heal something… it's just that, well I really need to talk to someone" I explained evasively. Wendy smiled, a signal of reassurance and a message that I can 'tell her anything'. I shook my head one last time to rid any doubts. "W-well… since that last fight with Phantasm earlier today, I well… I've been thinking about it and I realised something" I said.

Wendy nodded. "Alright, what did you figure out?" she coaxed.

"I was thinking about what things would be like if Phantasm never did any of this stuff, the staff and everything too… and well, does it make me a bad person to think that when Sting and I only got together because of that?" I asked. Wendy took my question in and waited a few painful minutes before answering.

"No. It doesn't make you a bad person Natsu" she said. I furrowed my brows, wanting to understand why, she saw this and provided explanation. "It may appear that your wishing you and Sting hadn't gotten together, but that's not true. Grandeeney told me that all Dragon Slayer's and Dragon's mates are 'predestined and will always meet, love and eventually mate' which means that regardless of whether you and Sting went on that job or not, or even if it happened the way it did, you two would've always got together" she said.

I nodded, vague memories clearing about Igneel telling me something similar. " _A Dragon's mate is for life, and will always find their way to each other. This is destiny_ " I recounted aloud. Wendy nodded.

"So you do remember. Does this help you?" she asked kindly. I smiled warmly and contentedly at her.

"Yeah, thanks Wendy. You're able to heal my wounds on my body _and_ in my head" I commented, "But please… could you keep this just between us" I insisted immediately after. She nodded understandingly.

"Of course I can Natsu, now… I'm going to try healing up Rogue too" she said much more confidently than last time, getting up and striding over to the unconscious Shadow Dragon Slayer.

 _She's always so helpful… I'll have to make sure I help her too, if she needs it_ I thought as I observed her attempts to restore Rogue.

/

 **A little while later**

Wendy left after a further four attempts at healing Rogue. Sting had wandered in at attempts three, insisting on her resting up. Gramps followed us in around attempt four, and at his insistence she finally was carted off to another bed because she looked like she might fall asleep standing up. Gramps lectured me briefly when I insisted upon being allowed to leave, saying that I needed the rest to recuperate. I agreed to him, if only to be alone (well, alone bar Rogue) with Sting. Once Makarov left I lay down on my bed, a pout on my face.

"You going to stop sulking or am I going to have to make you?" Sting said with a slight annoyance. I put up an even more exaggerated pout in response.

"Make me" I giggled. He smirked and sat down on the bed next to me, ruffling my hair with his fingers. Our eyes locked and my pout disappeared momentarily as I realised that aside from that time at his apartment we hadn't been alone together in any sort of romantic way since.

"You know… I might let you rest at home later, _if your good_ " Sting commented, breaking the small silence that put itself between us. I took on his tone, sending a lewd smile back.

"I bet I would rest up much easier in that _nice, big comfy bed_ " I replied. Sting smirked much more darkly hearing this before getting up and closing the door to the room which had been left open by Makarov. After that Sting marched back over, and then lay down beside me.

I rolled over from my position on my back so that we were facing each other. "I bet you'd also rest easier if there was someone there to protect you" he said, matching my tone from before.

"Uh huh," I agreed, "It would need to be someone _big_ and _strong_ and absolutely fucking adorable". Sting laughed.

"I'll get Orga right on it then" he joked. I punched him in the arm lightly.

"Shut up. You know who I really want…" I said. Sting nodded.

"Just a little joke, of course I'll stay over" he replied. "Plus… we _did_ agree last night that we'd test out that new bed" he added, eyes shining brightly.

I smiled warmly as that familiar warm, fluttery feeling filled my chest. I rested my hand on his cheek and looked deep into his eyes. He kept his fingers knotted in my hair as he returned the look I was giving him with an equally as loving gaze. I could see every last sparkle of light in his eyes, the kindness, the love, the care, even his obvious instinct to protect and be near me. Seeing this briefly overwhelmed me. "I love you…" I said in a hushed tone. _Why can't I just mate with him and worry about everything else later_? I screamed out in my mind.

"I love you too. And I can tell your thinking about us being mates" he stated. I briefly allowed confusion to show on my features. He chuckled lightly at this before pressing his lips to mine in a fleeting but loving kiss. "I can tell what you're thinking always Natsu… you have a fire in your eyes, but when you think about mating it always… erm… glows brighter" Sting said. I nuzzled his nose with my own.

"You always know me too well" I said happily. _I can't hide anything from him… except my fears_ I added silently. Sting smiled warmly, however a shifted sound drew his attention.

"Are you two… _doing_ anything?" a voice sounded from behind me. I turned as Sting looked over my shoulder.

/

"Rogue!" he called out in surprise. "Your finally awake". Sting leapt up over to his friend. I momentarily thought about grumbling about the fact he immediately ditched me right in the middle of an intimate moment, but decided to hold off on that for now.

"Finally awake then" I commented, rolling over and getting up.

"What happened?" Rogue asked. Sting looked down on to his friends face, no longer contorted into any fear or pain.

"Well… Phantasm left, however he explained the curse he put on you. You fell unconscious as we brought you in here with Natsu as both of you were injured. Wendy from Fairy Tail has come and healed up Natsu's injuries, however she wasn't able to do anything about your curse" Sting recounted. Rogue took all this in.

"I remember… I sort of remember the curse bit, but not clearly" he said as he obviously tried to focus his thoughts. "What is it?" Sting shook his head.

"Later. Right now I wanna ask you something… do you remember having nightmares?" he said. Rogue looked confused for a moment before he regained his composure.

"Yeah, sort of… It was about me fighting, um… fighting… _YOU_ " he said, a sudden outburst. "I was fighting you, and that Future me was sort of controlling me". I listened intently. There was obvious fear in Rogue's voice, fear which I'd never heard before. I could also hear his raised heartbeat, and smell the small amount of perspiration on his skin.

"You okay Rogue?" I asked. He nodded weakly.

"Just a bit rattled by all this. I'll be fine tomorrow" he said. Sting shook his head.

"Physically your fine, but with this curse I don't want you up and about" he commented.

"But I feel fine" he said, an obvious lie.

"I'll look after him Sting" I offered. Sting narrowed his eyes at me. He probably realised that this was just an obvious trick to get him to let me go around town instead of 'resting'. Eventually he shrugged.

"As long as you're careful I don't see why not. But no disappearing acts" he said. "And Natsu, if that's the case you can stay here with Rogue tonight, are you sure about this?" I was taken aback by his question, suddenly all of the promises made a second ago just seemed to have vanished. However, if this would give me my freedom, and since I _know_ he'll be so desperate anyways that we'll have some fun tomorrow I nodded in agreement.

"Fine with me" I said. He seemed genuinely surprised by this.

"You sure?" he obviously had expected me to back down. I nodded vigorously. "Fine fine" he said at last, holding up his hands in defeat. Rogue chuckled from his lying position.

"You two are both idiots" he stated. We each looked at him, about to make a comment back, as Yukino barged in.

"I heard Rogue…" she said. When she noticed Rogue she ran over and hugged him. Me and Sting each stepped out of the way. We shared one last private glance between us before we began to discuss things with Yukino and Rogue, deciding what should be done tomorrow and what would be 'best' for Rogue and me.

All through the discussion something niggled at the back of my mind. Something important which I felt I had missed. _I'm sure there was something_ …

 **End of Chapter 24**


	25. Chapter 25 - Noticing the Obvious

**Chapter 25 – Noticing the Obvious**

 **Sting POV**

After the discussions with Rogue I left Natsu and him alone, taking Yukino out with me. As we walked the halls we discussed matters. "He's claiming to be better but he's not fooling anyone" I commented as we rounded the corner and began heading towards the main section of the guild. Yukino nodded.

"Yeah, he says that he remembers the nightmares, but acts as if it's all hazy" she concurred.

"And now we've got to deal with finding out that Phantasm guy's magic just so we can lift the curse. It's obvious Wendy can't but I wonder if… I'll need to speak to Makarov at some point" I stated. Yukino gave me a confused glance but nodded in understanding regardless.

"Okay, he's currently out at the post office, sending a letter out to Fairy Tail. He wants to keep them up on what's going on" she stated. We turned another corner and began heading towards my office. We stopped as I collided with Rufus.

"Oh… Sorry" I mumbled, getting up off of the floor. Rufus dusted himself off as Yukino offered him his hat back.

"Thank you… I was just coming to talk to you Sting" Rufus said with a smirk. I cocked my head.

"What did you need to talk about?" I inquired pseudo-patiently. _He might have some information on Phantasm… but it's unlikely_ I thought.

Rufus tapped his temples. "I recorded the whole fight with the dark wizard to memory, every detail is recorded perfectly" he said proudly, "But I wanted to check something with you". This made me even more interested.

I gestured to the hallway. "Talk as we go to my office" I said. Rufus curtly nodded.

"Certainly. I've been going over what you've told us about your encounters with the dark wizard and comparing it to what I witnessed" he explained, "And I noticed something". Yukino frowned.

"You noticed something?" she stated. I was equally as perplexed. We reached my office door and I stopped, standing in front of it.

"I would like to replay the memory if you would" he said. I knew what he meant and opened the door to the office, ushering the pair inside before closing and locking the door again. Rufus' magic allows him to memorise spells, but also project their memories. I knew he could project around us what he saw, however if anyone walked in they could be seriously injured by the huge bubble of magic that would be storing the projection so we took steps to prevent anything bad happening whenever he did this. "Go on Rufus" I stated once I was ready. Rufus complied, taking his usual stance.

"Memory Make; The Great Battle of Sabertooth" he called out eloquently. I rolled my eyes and sighed, _of course he'd have some grandiose title for such a little event_ I commented. Yukino smiled at my actions. Rufus didn't seem to notice since he was focusing so intently on his projection. After a few moments a haze wrapped around us and warped the room; the desk, stacks of paperwork and the chairs, even the carpet we stood on all changed, becoming the very scene of earlier.

I watched as the events played out before my eyes.

 _Everyone was muttering, sitting and drinking, all unsuspecting._ The memory seemed to be from Rufus' perspective sitting at a table with a few other guild members _. Suddenly the doors to the guild burst open and Phantasm materialized in the air. He bowed. "Good day Sabertooth" he said with a mockingly low bow, "I'm here to speak with the good Master and his lizard sidekick". Makarov seemed to appear from a corridor._

 _"_ _You!" he shouted, "Get away from here!". Phantasm just smirked, shaking his head._

 _"_ _You're not the Master I'm after" he laughed. All the guild was on its feet now, preparing to fight him. A few lunged in a preemptive strike, however they easily phased through his form, making him laugh._

 _"_ _Oh… that actually TICKLED" he roared out, before clicking his fingers. The two servants appeared at each side of him. Rufus and Orga moved in._

 _"_ _You're the one who injured Sting" Orga said, "You ain't anything strong". Phantasm waved at the Lightning God Slayer._

 _"_ _Be quiet sparkplug, your nothing but a wanna be God… but you're looking at the real thing. Go play with some thunder clouds" Phantasm sneered. Memory-Rufus chuckled._

 _"_ _I don't ever remember Sting getting so badly injured, and to think it was by the likes of you" he said. Phantasm cocked his head, a huge grin on his face._

 _"_ _You want to try and harm me… go ahead" he taunted. Rufus and Orga needed no other offer. Immediately Rufus began conjuring up spell after spell, as Orga charged and fired his black God Slayer lightning. Phantasm laughed harder as his servants threw up a shield, easily deflecting the attacks. Once Rufus and Orga saw their attacks failing they stopped. Phantasm grinned and threw out a wave of sickly green energy, knocking them each back a few steps._

 _Makarov stepped forward and threw up his defensive light barrier. Phantasm seemed amused by this and his servants each called up multiple orbs of the same sickly green energy which were completely negated by Makarov's shield, being thrown around the room instead. The guild wizards dodged as Phantasm and his servants launched more spheres, throwing them at both Makarov and the guild in general. Phantasm chuckled. "I wonder how long you can keep that up" he mused, "and I would so like to play, however I did come here to do something" he added. Rufus and Orga began their assault again as Phantasm's minions resumed the defensive shield. "Master Sting! Natsu Dragneel! Your friends are starting to bore me. Come out or I shall turn this place to rubble and find your corpses" he shouted, obviously using his magic to amplify his voice._ At that the memory faded.

"And that was when you came in" Rufus concluded. He maintained a rigid composure, putting his hands behind his back as he normally did. I nodded.

"I think I see what you're getting at…" I stated. Yukino looked at me skeptically.

"You do?" she inquired. I nodded at Rufus, he was smirking, although clearly fatigued by the huge amount of magical energy he just used up in that projection.

"When Phantasm attacked Fairy Tail he was able to single handedly freeze the whole guild in its tracks without even batting an eye, so why would he go to the trouble of taking all those attacks?" I asked. Rufus nodded.

"Indeed. I remembered you telling me that and it got me thinking. I also noted that during that whole fight he only even seemed to use magic twice in offense. Once to fire those orbs, and that one attack he launched at me and Orga" Rufus analysed.

"I wonder why?" I questioned aloud, before shrugging, "Maybe he just wanted to play around… but maybe… I'll discuss this with Makarov later" I stated. Rufus bowed.

"Glad that I was able to use that memory" he stated, before going to leave. Yukino helped him out. He would never admit it, but those projections always took a load out of him.

Once he was gone Yukino looked at me from my position now at my desk chair. "You really think something was up with that fight?" she inquired. Again I shrugged, a small smile on my lips.

"There might have been, I'll ask Orga if he noticed anything, and Natsu too" I stated. Yukino smiled at me and bowed her head before going to leave. I outstretched my hand to get her attention. "Before you go could you do something for me?" I asked suddenly.

"Sure" she said uncertainly, "What do you need Sting?" I momentarily smirked before trying to fight down the small blush that escaped onto my cheeks.

"Umm… with everything going on at the minute I hadn't had time to go pick something up from a store in town… would you… um… pick it up for me" I said unsurely. She smirked at me.

"Is it something you don't want me to see?" she said with a sly wink, "Maybe something to do with the hot headed Dragon Slayer not that far away from us?" I nodded, glad that she seemed to understand.

"It should be a small box, but could you not look inside" I asked. She smiled even wider, her eyes glinting with mischief, however she agreed. "It's at this place" I handed her a piece of paper with the receipt of purchase attached so she could collect it on my behalf. She took the items and quickly scanned over the contents.

"Yes, I won't peek. Do you want it now or later?" she said, I shrugged.

"Whenever you've got time" With that she left, grinning too wickedly for my liking. _She's not going to do anything… but could she be any more obvious_ I commented as I reached out for yet another meaningless piece of paperwork the Magic Council wanted me to fill in. _I hope Natsu likes it_ …

/

 **Natsu POV that evening**

Sting had left a while ago and after his departure the only people to come in here was Lector and Frosch. They popped their heads in, and upon seeing Rogue awake they promptly darted into the room and enveloped him in a hug. After about an hour of questions from them they left Rogue alone, Lector having to practically drag Frosch out with him. Once they were gone Rogue began watching me. After Sting had left I lay back into my bed and just lay there, allowing my thoughts to go where they pleased. I noticed Rogue observing me, however I ignored him for a time, just deciding that he was obviously bored and as I was the only other thing of note in here he would watch me. Once Lector and Frosch entered he had been distracted and I just sat and watched them as the two exceeds maintained an unrelenting barrage of questions at their guildmate and partner.

It made me smile watching them and my thoughts jumped to my own blue buddy back home. _I wonder what he'd have said about all those fears I was having_ I thought, musing over the thought of Happy giving advice. Eventually, after the exceeds had departed I noticed Rogue half-observing me again through fleeting glances. I sighed.

"What is it Rogue? I know you've been watching me" I said, "You didn't fall in love with me too, did you?" I added, my tone and grin a little cocky.

He scowled. "No, I was just wondering about what goes on in that head of yours. You seemed to be deep in thought earlier and I wondered… w-well, if it was about Sting" the Shadow Dragon Slayer said. I smirked at the fact he couldn't just ask if I was thinking about my boyfriend.

I smiled at him amusedly as I answered "I wasn't _really_ thinking about anything in particular, I was just thinking. I mean, my mind did think about Sting at some point because well… I love him and he's such a big part of my life now, but… I was just thinking" I said, throwing my legs over the side of the bed to sit opposing the other Dragon Slayer. Rogue for his part sat up in his bed, turning his body to face me. He hadn't gotten up at all yet and I was starting to think he couldn't, although he did move quite stiffly I noticed. We looked each other up and down for a moment before continuing talking. "So you just think?" Rogue asked after a few moments.

I nodded. "Yeah… I know it sound's weird but I just had to… there's been something bugging me but I just can't figure out what it is" I admitted. Rogue looked at me intently.

"Is it about Sting?" he asked, reiterating his earlier question. I shook my head.

"No… it's about that dark wizard guy" I said. "It's just…" the idea hit me suddenly.

"It's just what?" Rogue asked, obviously aware I was trying to think this over.

"I've got it, that's what's been bugging me. His smell" I said, this seemed to confuse Rogue more. I went to explain further; however, I was interrupted by the door opening. I quickly scented the air and then relaxed. Sting entered with a big smile.

"Hey you two," he greeted upon entering, "how are you doing? Oh Rogue… you're up" he stopped and added upon seeing the black haired wizard in his sitting position.

"Sting, it's good that you're here, Natsu was just having some sort of revelation about the dark wizard" Rogue stated flatly.

"Huh, really" Sting commented, looking at me. He smirked. "That's good since I wanted to ask you if you noticed anything in our fight with him earlier" he said, taking a seat next to me.

I blushed as he interlocked our fingers and I could feel Rogue's gaze on us. "Remember I'm here" he stated, obviously fearful of us _forgetting_.

"I know" Sting said, "I won't forget, and we're not so desperate that we would do anything in the _guild_ " he added.

I blushed deeper because of his and Rogue's tones. When Sting's gaze fell on me I began to repeat what I had just said to Rogue. "R-right… anyways, as I was saying before I noticed that something was up but only just realised what… it's that guy's smell" I stated. Sting furrowed his brows.

"His smell?" he repeated. I nodded in confirmation.

"When we first interacted with him, in the castle… did you notice anything weird about him? Like he couldn't be sensed or smelled?" I asked. Sting seemed to give it some thought before he answered.

"Yeah… it was kinda weird, he just seemed to appear like he does every time" he said. I nodded again.

"And then when he was at Fairy Tail, you noticed that he was really strong, and he smelled like death" I said. Sting didn't speak, just nodded, obviously trying to follow my train of thought. "Well, what did he smell like earlier?" I asked. Sting narrowed his gaze, eyes becoming clouded in deep thought.

"There was hardly any smell at all" he said at last. I smiled broadly hearing this, _so I'm not the only one_ I thought, glad my theory had shown some evidence.

"I thought that too, but I was wondering why? What was different?" I asked. Sting smirked at me.

"The mystery grows" he said. I furrowed my brows and cocked my head to the side, Sting chuckled and pinched my cheek lightly. "That's adorable Natsu… but anyways, Rufus came by earlier and showed me memories of the fight. He came up with the same idea too, looks like you both might be onto something. I want to speak with Makarov about this though, I've got a request… and I might need you for that too, but just wait for now" Sting said. I went to asked him what he meant, however he put his hand over my mouth. "No questions, please" he said, "You'll get to see later… but I think for now you deserve a _reward_ for all your hard work" he said, leaning close and whispering in my ear. A lustful shiver ran down my spine as Sting wrapped his arms around me and kissed me. He was about to do something more, however a grunt was heard from next to us.

"And you said you wouldn't forget _and_ that you wouldn't do anything in the guild" Rogue stated wearily. "Don't worry though" he added, "Just do it somewhere else". I grinned at Sting, who stuck his tongue out a Rogue.

I leaned in close to his ear. "You could be doing better things with that than insulting Rogue… just do what he said and go to another room" I whispered lustfully. Sting looked down at me and a lewd grin formed on his features.

"My office can be locked" he stated before standing up and motioning eagerly for me to follow. Rogue groaned as Sting marched off.

"Did you really just say that? The office is a place for work" he said with obvious disapproval of the office's misuse. We didn't care though, we only thought about one thing right now. And it wasn't Phantasm or Sabertooth.

Sting turned to his partner one last time before leaving. "You gotta get the balance right, work and _play_ " he stated with a wide grin.

/

We reached Sting's office with undeniable grins on our faces. Yukino passed us in the hall and almost stopped Sting to talk, however she quickly noted our faces and decided it could wait. Sting opened the door and ushered me inside hurriedly. He swiftly closed the door and immediately threw me up against it, back pressed to the wood. "Well…" he said before smashing our lips together. I couldn't help but moan into the kiss. Sting onehandedly took out his office key and locked the door before replacing it back in his pocket. Once he had done that we could begin properly. He reached down with both hands and caressed my lower back, descending further and further until he reached my ass. He groped each cheek as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and neck, pulling him even closer to me. Soon the need to breathe forced us apart, strings of saliva still connected us as we broke only a small distance away.

"Well… I know we haven't done it in a while, but are we really so desperate?" Sting said cockily. I just nodded vigorously.

"I am" I said heatedly. Being apart for any length of time is hard on couples, but it's especially bad on Dragon Slayer couples, let alone _horny_ Dragon Slayer couples.

Sting grouped Natsu's cheeks again, firmly. "You really want it that bad do you?" he questioned. I nodded again.

"Yes… please can we just do it now" I pleaded. Sting shook his head.

"Not in the guild… you know, if you had accepted my offer before we _could_ have fucked tonight… but you decided to sleep in the guild to take care of Rogue instead sooooo… it's kind of _your_ fault" he said with a grin. I wanted to punch him but my arms were kind of busy. I kissed along his jawline instead.

"I… We… could still… do it… tonight… just I'll have… to come back to the… guild afterwards" I said in between kisses. Sting took one hand away from my ass and instead held my cheek.

"We _could_ do that I suppose…" he said, "But I'll have to bring you back, I'm not having anyone wandering around at night that might be a target for Phantasm". I tightened my grip around Sting, replacing my arms around his waist.

"Okay, you can protect your _little dragon_ " I gave in. Normally I would kick up a storm if anyone suggested protecting me, but from Sting it just felt right.

"Fine. But I've got a reward to give you _right now_ still" he said, before once more attacking my lips. I opened my mouth and allowed his tongue inside. I pretended to resist, but really I just wanted to lie down and beg for it right now. Sting maintained dominance as he explored my mouth, play-fighting against my tongues resistances. He continued groping my ass with one hand, causing me to moan into the kiss. With his free hand he trailed it over the muscles of my abdomen, stopping when he neared my groin. We broke apart once more. "Just going to relieve you a bit Natsu, nothing more" Sting said, moving his hand down to palm my semi-hard cock.

"Nghn, come on, we could do more than that" I said, fighting back a gasp as Sting continued his hand motions.

"No." he stated flatly, his eyes full of mischief and his smirk showing he was having fun tormenting me. He stopped his palming, causing me to grunt in annoyance.

"Why'd you stop?" I whined, he grinned wider.

"Because I wanted to do this" he said, before undoing my belt and sending his hand diving into my pants. He went into my underwear and grabbed ahold of my cock. I bit back a moan as the action jostled it around in my trousers somewhat. "You like that" Sting said, beginning to make stroking motions along my cock.

"Ngn… yes…" I held back another moan, this time less successfully.

"Don't hold them back, my little dragon, moan all you want… there's no one nearby and the room is designed so that no one can eavesdrop on the Guild master's important meetings" Sting said, giving a few harsher tugs at my cock to emphasize. I gave in and let the building moan come out.

"Ngnn…" I tried to speak but couldn't. A grinning Sting leaned in closer, so that our groins were pressed together.

"Enjoying your reward" he said, hand falling into a steady rhythm. He removed the hand from my ass and instead trailed in down my front, like he had done with the other. He kissed me once more, our tongues sliding over one another as another moan from my throat reverberated around our mouths.

My hands began to trail down Sting's abdomen, however he stopped me from doing anything by pressing them tightly between our bodies.

"No, it's just for you right now, you were the _clever_ _dragon_ who figured out that scent thing, _you get the reward_ " Sting said. I smirked at him, enjoying the attention, before giving into another moan. Sting increased the pace of his hand rhythm, causing me to moan that little bit louder, my head rolling back to rest on the wooden door. "So good" I said in a ragged breath. Sting's free hand trailed up my body, stopping at my chest.

"I've still got something else to do first" he said, as he trailed his fingers over to my nipple, stroking the hardening bud, before giving it a tweak,

"F-f… fuck…" I moaned out as the tweaks gave me a jolt of pleasure around my body. Sting grinned evilly.

"You like that a lot" he commented, doing it even more, and reveling in the noises I was making. He briefly stopped to use his hand to unravel my scarf from around my neck as tightly, before resuming his stroking and tweaking. I watched through now half-lidded eyes as he lowered his mouth to my neck. "Just one last thing" he whispered lustfully. My hand gripped around him tightly as he delved into my neck sucking hard and nipping at the skin.

"W-wait… your… marking me?" I breathed out. Sting made a few muffled noises, which I deciphered as 'do you not want me to mark you'. "No I-I do… ngn…" I said, as Sting trailed a few more kisses along my neck, before sucking on another part. After that he repeated it once more and then pulled away again, a triumphant look on his face.

"You're going to have to keep that scarf in place around other people" Sting said. I wanted to see the marks he had left; however, my mind was preoccupied by the growing heat in my pants.

"St-Sting… I'm ge-getting close" I said as I felt myself nearing orgasm in Sting's hand. This caused a wicked look to fill Sting's eyes. He tightly gripped my cock, increasing his pace even more as he trailed hurried kisses down my chest. He stopped at my nipple again, however he just flicked his tongue over the bud. He quickly sucked hard, leaving yet another hickey. I moaned hard, a few more strokes and I would be finished. Sting registered the neediness in my moans and lowered himself even further down, until he was kneeling in front of me. He pulled down my loose pants, allowing my hard member to spring free. I gasped at the feeling of freedom, before Sting's mouth engulfed my cock.

"Fuck… Sting… I'm gonna come" I warned. Sting flicked the slit with his tongue, looking at me with a devilish look in his eyes. That look and that last action was enough. I came in his mouth, a flow of hot white seed which he swallowed readily.

Once I was done with my overly loud moaning, and my cock spent, Sting raised himself off and helped me pull my trousers up. I was leaning quite heavily against the door, the feeling of an orgasm after nearly a week was too much for me. "You like your treat" Sting said cockily.

"Yeah" I replied breathlessly. Sting smirked before kissing me lightly. I could taste myself on his intruding tongue and I loved it. After a few minutes we broke apart and Sting redid my belt, gesturing for me to sit in the chair in front of my desk. Shakily I removed myself from the door and slumped into the chair. Sting leaned against the desk in front of me.

"Did you really leave marks?" I asked, looking down to see the big purple mark on my nipple. _Looks like I'll be wearing a closed waistcoat for a few days_ I thought glumly, although I did feel sort of good at having marks left on me by Sting.

"Yeah, I left three marks along your neck, I wanted to mark you before, but I waited until now… I'm sorry if you didn't want them" he looked genuinely sorry. I reached out for him to take my hand and I interlocked our fingers.

"Don't be sorry, I like them, maybe I'll leave some on you too" I said with a reassuring smile. Sting returned it, obviously happy.

"You will?" he asked a little excitedly. I nodded, amused by his excitement, he ran a hand through my hair before lightly pecking a kiss on my lips.

"Yeah I will… although I'm going to have to wear a closed shirt or waistcoat for a while" I commented. Sting looked smug.

"Or you could show them" he mused. I shook my head.

"Not unless you want to explain to the whole guild why they're there" I said, cutting into Sting's amusement swiftly.

Sting chuckled. "Fine. If you want I can go and pick you up a waistcoat or whatever from the inn so you don't have to try to wander around town covering yourself up" he offered, "It is my fault you can't wear what you're wearing now after all?" I nodded, accepting his offer.

"Thanks, you're a good _boyfriend_ , could you pick me up some underwear too?" I asked in reply. Sting nodded and pulled out something from one of his desk drawers.

"Sure. Here, if you want you can look at the marks" he said, offering me the mirror he kept handy. I took it and observed my neck as he went to the door. "If you want to you can stay in here, no one'll come in if I'm not here, except maybe Yukino, or you can try to sneak back to Rogue's room, whatever you want" he offered. I shrugged.

"I'll sneak down later, if you're going now you'll need this" I said, throwing him the inn room keys. He took them and then left the room, giving me a sweet goodbye kiss before he left. I checked out the marks on my neck.

"Damn, it's going to be hard to keep all of these hidden" I commented when I was alone.

/

 **A while later**

I snuck discretely back down to Rogue's room after about ten minutes in Sting's office. I could smell his scent everywhere and it was driving me crazy, especially right after the activity we had just done with my hormones everywhere. Yukino had wandered in after about five minutes and noticed me sitting in Sting's chair. She was momentarily taken aback as she had not expected anyone to be in there, however she soon noticed my marks and I had to quite quickly explain at least _some of_ what had happened in here. Just like Rogue she had seemed disapproving of Sting's behavior, yet she never blamed me, thankfully. She assisted me in subtly moving back down to the room, and upon entering I was met with a glaring Rogue.

"You really did it in the office" he stated flatly, scenting the air. "Yep, I can smell it one you" he sighed. I looked sheepishly.

"Not as much as what you think, just me… and Sting's _hand_ " I added, watching with amusement as Rogue upturned his nose.

"That's too much information Natsu" he said slightly disgustedly. I chuckled as I lay down on the bed again. "And I'm going to have to put up with that smell" Rogue commented with an annoyed tone. Yukino had left the room with a blush as I had mentioned the activity in the office.

"Don't worry" I started, "Sting's gone to my room in the inn to pick up some spare clothing". Rogue seemed a bit more contented hearing this.

"That's better, but it would be best if you could take a shower" Rogue replied. I nodded in agreement.

"I know, but there isn't one available so…" I drifted off. My eyes were feeling a bit heavy and I knew I would end up falling asleep soon. Rogue looked with a smirk.

"Hmm… looks like you have the same problem as Sting, you feel tired as soon as you fuck, right?" Rogue said. My eyes shot wide hearing the Shadow Dragon Slayer making such private statements.

"How do you know that?" I asked. He laughed lightly.

"Sting likes to think he's discrete when he masturbates but he _really_ isn't" Rogue explained. I smiled, it was amusing to hear this from Rogue.

"He's not that good at being quiet" I agreed. Rogue snorted in amusement. Eventually a companionable silence filled the air. I fell asleep with thoughts of Sting lulling me into a deep, and pleasant, slumber.

/

 **Rogue POV**

Natsu fell asleep not long after our conversation about Sting. I watched him for a few moments, wondering if he was faking or if he really did fall asleep. He murmured and tossed a little, but otherwise was clearly sound asleep.

I smirked. "He's pretty cute I'd admit, but really… sleeping with your idol Sting" I mused aloud, although not much louder than a whisper. It was nice to have a quiet and less irritating Natsu around. I too allowed my thoughts to wander, however this did not have the same relaxing effect that it did on Natsu as every time I closed my eyes those damned nightmares showed up. _It appears I don't even need to be asleep for them to torment me_ I thought grimly. Sting had informed me earlier that Phantasm warned him about me 'becoming consumed by them' and I was now beginning to wonder what that meant. _Will I become like the Future me_? I questioned fearfully. Ever since the Games and the subsequent battle against those dragons I had strived to become a 'better man' in order to avoid the darkness, and to prevent me from ever hurting Sting as my future version had done.

My thoughts were dark enough, without having to be reminded of that evil version of my own being. Before I could think on it any longer the door opened. Sting marched in, obviously expecting to be greeted by Natsu. "Hey Na-" he said before stopping. I smirked at him, amused by the disappointed look on his face. He wandered over to me.

"Hey Sting" I greeted.

"Hey Rogue, how're ya doing?" he said pleasantly. I sat up.

"Fine" I lied, pushing the dark thoughts to the side for a period. "Natsu sleeps quiet peacefully so nothing has happened" I commented. Sting looked over at the pinkette for a moment. In his eyes I could see a fine light burning, filling his gaze with love and care that I had never seen him have before. "He came in before, he got help from Yukino to sneak by the guild, and then we chatted for about ten fifteen minutes, before he went out like a light" I recounted. Sting focused his gaze back on me.

"Oh, right… I was just bringing him some extra clothes… did he say _why_ he needed to sneak in?" Sting asked slyly. I rolled my eyes.

"No, and I don't want to know. Natsu already traumatized my imagination enough with a few choice words about what you did when I, admittedly, pressed the topic a little" I said, laying back down.

Sting's face became clearly mischievous. "So you don't know much then" he asked. I shook my head.

"No." I stated flatly.

Sting nodded. "Good… good… I was wondering if I could ask you something?" he began. I looked at him, my face altering to a mildly confused, so that he would continue. "Right… I had Yukino collect something I bought a while ago… and I was wondering if you could keep ahold of the box of stuff for now, you don't need to look in it… but I'm worried Natsu would find it if I kept ahold of it" I smirked, glancing over to the Fire Dragon, he was still asleep.

"Yeah, I can keep ahold, however it looks like Natsu wants to hold something too" I commented. Sting turned around to face Natsu, who was asleep, but facing Sting's direction.

"S-Sting…" he murmured peacefully. Sting smiled warmly and wandered over to Natsu's bedside, taking a hold of his mate's hand and interlocking their fingers. He stroked Natsu's cheek gently with his other hand's thumb, before planting a kiss there. I felt like a bit of an intruder in this loving moment between the two, however I kept my mouth shut. Sting then quickly left Natsu's side again, returning to me. Natsu murmured another unheard thing at the loss, but aside from that remained passive.

"I've got to go now, I'm going to speak with Makarov about something, could you keep an eye on him for now?" Sting asked. I nodded. "And look after yourself, I _know_ you're not right Rogue, you don't need to hide it if you're suffering". I frowned at that, but Sting just smirked and left.

I could hear him as he walked away. "I need to ask about Mavis…" he said aloud, obviously unaware that anyone could hear him.

 _Mavis?_ I thought confusedly.

 **End of Chapter 25**


	26. Chapter 26 - The Illusion of his Power

**Chapter 26 – The Illusion of his Power**

 **Makarov POV**

I re-entered the Sabertooth guildhall a little while after posting the letter updating Fairy Tail on what's been going on. Upon seeing my entrance, I was greeted by a smiling Yukino.

"Master Makarov" she said curtly, I held my hand up.

"Just Makarov, please" I responded politely. She nodded in understanding.

"Makarov then, Sting would like to speak to you in his office. He's currently speaking with Natsu but shouldn't be more than a few moments" she informed me. I nodded.

"Fine, shall I wait in his office?" I asked. She nodded.

"Yes, if you would sir" she said, leading me off towards the office. We arrived and I was ushered inside, taking a seat on one of the chairs available. "I'll go and fetch Sting for you, won't be a minute" Yukino said, turning to leave, I shook my head.

"Just leave him be, he'll be here soon, he's probably just checking up on Natsu and Rogue" I said calmly. _I don't really know what those to want to do, but they obviously want to spend time together_ I thought, reminding myself of what Natsu had said on our way to Sabertooth about the 'three instincts'. Upon questioning I remembered Natsu's answer; _we want to be Mates but have decided not to yet._ This had saddened me a little, to think one of my children couldn't achieve something they so obviously wanted.

After a few moments of thinking Sting entered the office muttering to himself. He stopped when he saw Yukino and me. "Makarov," he greeted cheerfully, "I was just wanting to speak to you actually". I nodded as he took a seat behind his desk.

"Yukino had said you did" I informed him. He nodded towards the celestial wizard.

"Thank you Yukino" he said, before turning his attention back to me, "I have a request Makarov". I looked at him with a look of interest, asking him to go on. "Well… I was wondering if I could speak to Mavis" he asked. I shook my head, which seemed to make Sting a little saddened.

"The First Master doesn't appear unless she has something she wants to-" I stopped as a hand tapped me on the shoulder.

"It's alright, I'm here. Although he can't see me without Natsu" Mavis said. I turned in surprise, but settled into a comfortable quiet. Sting seemed to register my head movements and facial expression.

"She's here right now" he said, looking for confirmation. I nodded.

"Yes, but she can't manifest for you to perceive so I'll have to act as an intermediary" I stated, Sting shrugged.

"That's fine. I just wanted to ask if she has found anything out about Phantasm" he stated. I looked at Mavis, who had taken to perching on the end of Sting's desk, back turned to us both. She smiled over at me.

"I have" she said. I reiterated this to Sting. He nodded and took this information in. _Obviously he is trying to piece something together in his head, I wonder what he's figured out_ I thought as he opened his mouth to ask his next question.

"Well, could I ask if she has found out what type of magic he uses?" Mavis smiled and nodded again, however her eyes suggested this was something grim.

"She has" I stated, tone careful and measured, I didn't want to scare Sting by giving away the grim look Mavis had. Sting nodded.

"Then could I ask if I could see her with Natsu here?" he asked one final time. I looked towards Mavis, who seemed to be sitting thinking.

"He can, but I want Rogue to be there too" she said to me. I relayed this to Sting.

"Can Yukino see you too?" he said aloud. She smiled and nodded, which made me nodded towards Sting too.

"Shall we go to Rogue and Natsu's room then?" I said, Sting nodded and gestured to Yukino to open the office door. "Wendy needs to be present too" I stated at last, this wasn't Mavis's request but my own. If the First Master needed help dealing with the curse they're best bet would be Wendy. Sting nodded towards Yukino, who rushed off to locate the Sky Dragon Slayer as we made our way to Natsu and Rogue's room.

/

 **Sting POV**

We all gathered in Rogue and Natsu's room. Makarov and Yukino, now accompanied by Wendy, entered, however they were met with the slight snores and murmurs of the sleeping Fire Dragon Slayer. I motioned for them all to go over to Rogue's bed, who was eyeing us with interest. He seemed to whisper something to Yukino whilst I sat on the edge of Natsu's bed and prodded him in his side. "Natsu…" I whispered carefully. He smiled in his sleep but otherwise did not respond. I chuckled lightly, if the others weren't there I'd have kissed that adorable face until he woke up. "Natsu…" I prodded again, this time harder and louder. He tossed, a small look of annoyance showed on his features and he groped the bedside, obviously looking for me in his sleep state. I grinned this time as I ran my hand up his leg, stopping before I reached his groin. "Oy Natsu, wake up" I commanded. This time Natsu opened his eyes and sat up, looking around blearily.

"Hey Sting, what time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. I rolled my own eyes and gestured to the assemblage in the other side of the room. Natsu looked at them and waved slightly.

"Hey guys, what're ya doing here?" he asked, still obviously sleepy. I sighed as Wendy waved.

"Hiya Natsu" she said, "Sting had to wake you up". Makarov smirked with an amused look in his eye. My little display of waking Natsu up seemed to be entertaining to him at least. Yukino still looked a little red, _will she ever stop doing that when it comes to me and him together_? I questioned to myself. Finally Rogue just seemed exhausted, _obviously not getting enough sleep_ I thought worriedly. Once Natsu seemed a bit more awake he sat alongside me on his bed.

"What are they all here for Sting?" he asked me this time. I smiled.

"We're going to find some stuff out about Phantasm" I said. Natsu seemed to shoot awake hearing the dark wizards name. He looked at me with a fire in his eyes before returning his attention to the group.

"We are?" he asked for confirmation. Makarov nodded.

"Yes we are Natsu" he stated before gesturing for everyone to form a circle. "Mavis would like to speak to you all, however since you are not of the guild we're going to need a bit of help. Yukino and Rogue could you join hands with Sting, and Natsu, could you just touch Sting, it doesn't really matter where" Makarov instructed everyone as they shuffled around. Natsu grinned hearing his instruction, however I whispered quietly to him on passing.

"Keep your mind _clean_ for now Natsu, just touch my shoulder or something" I said, knowing full well what the Fire Dragon Slayer was really thinking. He smirked one last time, but complied, his firm grip on my shoulder confirming this. Makarov gestured around the room and after a few moments Mavis popped into existence standing beside him.

"Hiya" she greeted. Yukino and Rogue each looked confused, whilst I just waved back.

"Hi Mavis, so what have you found out?" I greeted, getting straight to the point. Natsu got really close behind me and I could feel his breath on the back of my neck.

"Don't be so rude Sting" he said in a low but scolding tone. I was surprised by Natsu's sudden reaction; however, Mavis didn't seem to mind. She wandered up to us.

"It's fine Natsu, I know that Sting is worried about this, I can sense it" she said. Natsu relaxed his grip a bit, but didn't pull away from his close stance. I was about to ask how she could sense it, when she anticipated my question. "Because of Natsu's love for Sting I can allow you to perceive me, and because of your strong bonds to Yukino and Rogue, they can see me too. As you are all connected by such bonds I can sense stuff… like your confusion Yukino… and Rogue's… fear" Mavis said, turning to Rogue. Rogue pouted.

"I'm fine" he lied. I sighed as Mavis wandered over to him.

"You're not… that curse has taken more ahold then what I feared" she stated with a critical glance, and a worried tone.

"You said you knew about Phantasm's magic First Master" Makarov stated, obviously trying to speed this along. I was glad for his prudence.

"Yes…" Mavis said, turning to face us all, "I learned of it. As I journeyed though the 'Spirit World' I found a large number of souls who had come into contact with that man… or well, ghost of a man". I looked confused, but decided to see if I could clarify some things with the young girl.

"Um… Mavis Vermillion…" I started, "I talked with Rufus and Natsu, and between us we sort of came up with a theory. This Phantasm… his power fluctuates doesn't it?" I asked. She smiled and nodded.

"That's well observed" She commended us, "It does. You see… Phantasm uses a _very_ old form of magic. When I was alive I'd read about it in fairy tales, it was that old back then" she stopped briefly to allow this to sink in, "It's called Spectral Magic". I cocked my head, Makarov seemed to go deep into the realms of thought.

"Um… what's Spectral Magic?" Wendy asked timidly.

"I don't know much about it but I know it can manipulate the very life force of living being's itself" Mavis explained, "You're all aware of Seith Magic, yes?" We all nodded, "Well Seith Magic uses its power to manipulate souls, Spectral Magic is a bit different, but similar. Its power _comes from_ souls" Mavis again paused.

"So he uses souls? Like Bickslow in our guild?" Makarov asked for clarification.

"Yes Third Master. In the stories I had heard, practitioners of this magic died out because it required three great sacrifices, each of which gave them great power, however beyond that I don't really know. From what I have seen, however, it would seem that those servants Phantasm summons are nothing more than houses for souls he has collected and warped to his will. They will fight and fight and fight until they physically cannot anymore."

"So they're unstoppable?" Natsu asked, I could hear the menace and venom in his tone. I didn't need to look at him to know that there would be an inferno in those eyes.

"Not quite. Like Sting said Phantasm's power is weakened at times. It would appear that he is significantly stronger during times at which the sun is not shining, that was why he could so easily freeze the whole guild back at Fairy Tail; it was late and there was no sun out" Mavis explained further. I nodded.

"So that's why he had to defend himself here, it was morning and he was weaker" I said. Makarov nodded in unison with Mavis.

"I noticed he was significantly weaker in his attacks against my shield than when he used that paralysis spell on me at Fairy Tail" the old wizard commented, "I thought he was just playing around. He seems to like causing chaos after all". I nodded grimly, my gaze inadvertently falling back to Rogue.

"Yes, that curse does seem to be problematic" Mavis stated, following my look. Wendy sighed.

"I'm sorry I can't be more use" she apologised. My head snapped around and I smiled at her.

"There's no need to be sorry Wendy, you did the best you could" Rogue said politely, "I never got the chance to thank you for trying earlier".

"Wendy… would you come here with me?" Mavis asked with a distracted tone in her voice, Wendy looked confused but agreed.

"Yes, but what can I do?" she replied. Mavis smiled.

"I now know the type of magic being cast, and with your help we can put up a barrier seal to protect Rogue" she said gleefully. I almost leapt up to her, only Natsu's grip on my shoulder and the two hands I was holding keeping me in place.

"You can?!" I blurted out. She smiled at me, Rogue seemed to be trying to process this too.

"Yes. It won't work indefinitely, but it will help to prevent it from consuming him too soon" she informed.

"That still leaves the problem of why he's targeting you" Yukino spoke up at last.

Mavis and Wendy crowded around Rogue whilst the rest of us gave them some space. I had to maintain connection with Rogue in order for him to perceive Mavis, which made this more difficult and uncomfortable. Mavis set up for casting a spell, but answered Yukino's comment first.

"I don't really know why he's targeting you, however we could try to ask him next time he shows up" the Fairy said. I smiled.

"Yeah, and we'll have to make sure the sun is out too" I said cockily. Natsu seemed to tremble at the thought of seeing Phantasm again, as he suddenly intensified his grip on my shoulder.

"I'm going to _kill_ him for all he's done" he snarled. I almost jumped at his sudden intensity, however I turned my head and shot him a worrying glance, which seemed to calm him down, at least for a while.

"If Phantasm's weaker during the day, will the curse be weaker too?" Wendy asked as she began to also prepare for the spell they were about to use. Mavis gave this some thought and then shrugged.

"I don't really know exactly, but my guess is that it will be weaker but still continue to grow" she replied. Rogue nodded in understanding.

"Will I have to do anything to prevent the curse's growth?" he asked. _Still keeping a level head… SERIOUSLY, even after this_ I thought.

"You should minimize the amount of magic you use, but other than that try to ignore the nightmares. The more you fixate on them, the stronger the curse can grip you" she said. "I'm going to begin putting up the spell now, Wendy if you just follow what I'm doing you can help me reinforce it" Mavis said at last, a golden glow wrapping her hands and arms, before placing them on Rogue's forehead and chest. Wendy copied, but with her blue glow and between them the spell was put in place.

We all watched in awe as blue and gold light warped the area around Rogue until hardly anything was visible. I squinted whilst the others all looked away, even _I_ , the White Dragon Slayer, thought this was too bright. Eventually we all sucked in the breath we hadn't realised we all had been holding as the light receded and a very tired looking Mavis and Wendy returned to us.

"We've set it up, but it looks like Rogue's asleep again, the spell must've overwhelmed his system. He won't wake up for a little while, and it'd be best to leave him" Mavis informed us.

"Thank you so much First Master, and Wendy" Makarov said. I looked with worry at my friend.

"Did it work?" I asked hesitantly, Natsu's grip once more intensified on my shoulder, however I think this was more as reassurance than anger.

"Of course it did Sting" he said with his usual confidence. I smiled at his words but looked to Mavis for confirmation.

She nodded, but had a grim expression on her face. "It did work, but… he's got one month" she said bluntly. I took this is. _One month…_ At that moment it seemed so short a time.

Once more Natsu spoke up. "One month's plenty of time to get this Phantasm guy, and beat him up till he restores Rogue right back up to his old self" he beamed. I accepted his enthusiasm, however this news hit me hard.

"I've… got to go back now… that took more out of me than I thought it would" Mavis said, already looking more transparent than before. I smiled at her.

"Thanks for everything" I said before she disappeared again.

/

We wandered to my office once more. Me, Yukino, and Makarov. Wendy needed her rest and Natsu was just too riled up right now and decided to wander the guild for a bit. Before I left I specifically instructed him not to fight anyone. He pouted and grunted, but seemed to get the message when Makarov shot one single glare at him.

I unlocked my office and went inside, Makarov swiftly following me. Yukino closed the door as I slumped into my chair, letting out a huge sigh.

"Well… that was not as useful as I hoped" I admitted heavily. Makarov nodded.

"The First Master found out as much as she could, however we're no closer to figuring out a way to defeat Phantasm and undo his curse" Makarov agreed.

"One month" Yukino stated, reminding me of the deadly time limit we now had. "What should we do Sting?"

I looked up at the expectant face of Yukino, before glancing at Makarov. He seemed to be deep in thought. "We'll need to call in some favors, and get help from other guilds" I started, Yukino nodded, "But for now we need to proceed calmly, can't let Sabertooth's reputation slip, or people in town will become afraid" I added methodically. Makarov looked at me.

"We agreed I'd start the inspection today; would you like me to go on a job? For appearances" Makarov asked. I thought about it for a moment.

"That would be a start" I began, sifting through my work until I found the flyer I was looking for, "This one was the first one I was going to give you. It's pretty short and sweet, but it'll keep you busy for a few hours" I told the older man. He took the flyer and glanced at it before handing it to Yukino, who held her hand out. She had helped me choose the jobs and knew who would be going on each.

"I can go inform the wizard that they'll be on inspection" she offered. I nodded, but spoke before she could leave.

"Erm… What time should we make it for? 3PM, 4PM?" I looked towards Makarov. He smiled.

"Either's fine" he said. I shrugged.

"3PM then" I told Yukino, who rushed off to find the wizard attached to the job. Once she was gone I went to asking Makarov what I had intended. "Whilst you're out there could you..." he looked straight at me.

"Keep an eye out for Phantasm?" he interjected. I nodded.

"We need as much information on this guy as possible" I said. He nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye out. When I sent that letter earlier I told Erza and Mirajane to keep an eye out too, and report if there were any major findings. Levy and a few other mages are finding out all they can on this guy, but as Mavis was only able to find out a very small amount I doubt they'll find anything overly useful" Makarov explained, with an obvious hopelessness in his tone. It was an odd sound to be coming from the Master of Fairy Tail.

"We can only hope" I said glumly. Makarov shot a helpful smile at me.

"At least we know what kind of magic we're dealing with now" he said. I returned his smile with a slight smirk.

"I suppose there's that" I said.

"And Wendy'll keep on working on Rogue to try to solve the curse. She might be able to, more than any of us anyways" Makarov added, in as fatherly a tone as he could muster. I couldn't help but feel invigorated by his attitude.

"Thanks Makarov. I'm going to check through the files again, after I finished this damned paperwork for the Council. I'm also going to relay our findings to them, omitting their source of course, and then request any additional information they have" I said, a little bit more confidently. Makarov smiled.

"The work of a good Guild Master is never done. The work of a _great_ Guild Master is never even looked at" he said with a chuckle. I returned the smile as he went for the door. "I'll leave you to your work, Master Sting" he said.

 _Now I just have to hope what he said was true, and we do find Phantasm and the cure for his damned curse_ I thought as I looked over the most recent paperwork that needed doing.

/

 **Natsu POV, a short while later**

I paced up and down the room a few times, being careful not to make too much noise. Lector and Frosch had come in earlier to see Rogue, but I had to send them away in order to avoid waking the Shadow Dragon Slayer. After about ten minutes of increasingly frantic pacing I couldn't take it anymore and quietly slipped out of the room. The thoughts broiling in my brain were just too much and I needed to vent them. I looked up and down the corridor before wandering off in a random direction.

Since arriving at Sabertooth I had seen very little of the quite large guildhall, mostly because I was left in the main area of the guild, or Sting's office, however I had wandered around a little just to help me get my bearings. I scented the air around me as I walked, however there were too many new scents for me to be comfortable following my nose. Only one _very_ familiar scent stood out to me; Sting's. I knew that I shouldn't be bothering Sting since he would probably be having quite a bad time at the moment, with both the news about Rogue and the damned Magic Council causing him stress, however I noticed that, upon further scenting, my feet weren't taking me to his office, but rather deeper into the hall. Confused I decided to follow his scent. _I wonder where Sting is then_? I thought as I walked.

I had been so pent up with energy and rage at hearing about Phantasm that I really struggled just to stand still whilst Mavis was explaining things, and being in _that_ _room_ didn't help me either, so I figured hunting out Sting would be a good pass time to avoid any dark or angry thoughts.

Eventually my feet took me up to a quite ordinary door. The only unique feature was the fact it was locked. My nose definitely told me Sting was in there, however I couldn't work out why. I looked around and eventually spotted a small plaque, just a few paces away from the door. PRIVATE, GUILD MASTER ACCESS ONLY it read.

 _Guild Master only?_ I thought confusedly. Suddenly I got the urge to see if I could get in. I hung around the door for a few minutes, sizing it up. There appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary, just wood, a metal handle, and some hinges. This was definitely just a plain old door. I decided to sniff the air some more, trying to pick out what Sting was doing in there. My ears could hear the drip drip of water, and when I scented carefully I could pick up a faintly salty smell.

 _Is Sting crying_? The thought suddenly occurred. That thought sent a burst of worry through my chest. My instincts went crazy at the thought of Sting being hurt and crying alone, so I decided to do the only sensible thing.

Flames engulfed my hand and I knocked the door down in one easy punch.

I was met with a fierce gaze as I entered. "Natsu?! What the hell!" Sting barked, obviously startled by my sudden appearance. I looked at him intently, noticing only three things about him. Firstly, he wasn't crying, which was a relief; secondly, he was naked; and thirdly, he was hard.

"What the-" I said, extremely confused now. "What's all this?". Sting glared at me angrily.

"Did you not read the sign?" he growled "This is my private room". I looked around, suddenly aware the door was swinging off one of its hinges and I scrambled to put it back up so that, to most people, it looked pretty normal again. Only a few might notice the faint scorch marks and the fact it was more leaning against the door frame, than in it. Once that was done I returned my attention to the room. It had tiled floors of some random pattern of blues, with a couple of hooks by the door for clothing and the such. Sting's stuff was hanging up on these hooks, or laying in a pile just underneath them.

"This is your private room?" I asked, cocking my head.

"Yes" Sting said, exasperated. "When we put in the pool a while back I had this place built too. It's my private baths" Sting explained. I looked around more intently. There was a large, square, bath of water, a bit like an artificial hot spring, in which Sting was sitting back, as well as a couple of benches along the far walls, but other than that it was pretty standard, with plain, featureless white walls with only two unique things on them. One wall had the large symbol of the Sabertooth guild on it, and on the other opposite this it had the words STING EUCLIFFE; DRAGONSLAYER KING scrawled across it in Sting's handwriting. I smirked and Sting followed my vision.

"Shut up" he said bluntly, "What are you doing in here anyways? I came here to relax" Sting asked, staring me down. I blushed.

"Sorry" I mumbled, "but when I was wandering I could pick out your scent and it led me hear. Then I could hear a drip and smell salt water and then I thought you were crying and I couldn't bear to think you were crying all alone so I broke down the door and then…" I stopped my blathering as Sting shot me a warm smile.

"Sorry for worrying you" he said apologetically, I shook my head.

"It was me jumping to conclusions. I'll fix the door" I said. He nodded.

"Damn right you will… but since you're here you could… join me" Sting said, a slight smirk on his features that I just couldn't say no to.

"Okay" I grinned, before stripping down too, leaving my stuff on one of the benches and then slipping into the bath next to Sting. He also began grinning. I sniffed the air once more.

"What's with this water?" I asked skeptically. He inched a little closer.

"The salt water you could smell, it's this stuff. It's supposed to be good for the skin, although don't drink any of it" Sting informed me. I slipped a little further in. The water was nice and warm, it helped to sooth my mind and muscles. Sting copied my actions and we both slid down until only our heads were above the water.

"I can't believe you'd have your own secret baths in the guild. Don't you worry about people walking in?" I asked. Sting grinned wider.

"Why? Does that bother you?" he said cockily. I nodded.

"I don't want _anyone_ seeing you naked but _me_ , got it, only your little dragon gets to see his _bigger_ _dragon_ in his entirety" I said, shooting him a predatory look and growling possessively. Sting chuckled, before raising his hand up and ruffling my hair.

"Alright, message received. It's normally locked though, and _most people_ read the sign and leave" Sting replied. I blushed again.

"So sorry" I repeated. He chuckled even louder hearing this.

"Nah, it's fine. I feel the same" he said. "I don't get to come here that much… only when…" he quieted down. I looked at him with expectant eyes as his gaze drifted down to the water surface. I hated to see him so down

"Um Sting…" I said. He looked up at me, before smiling.

"Oh… sorry" he said, "Guess I'm tired". I shook my head, before scooting so close to him I was practically sitting on his knee like some overly large child.

"You're not tired, you're worried" I said flatly. I mustered as much love into my eyes in an effort to get Sting to talk willingly. For a long minute he didn't speak, but then smiled warmly.

"Looks like I can't hide anything from you either" he said. I smiled, reminded of our brief moment earlier in Rogue and my own shared room. "I've been… worry about Rogue" he said at last. I nodded, showing my understanding but letting him continue. "It's just… I'm not sure if we'll be able to save him and beat Phantasm before the… before the curse, you know… takes ahold" Sting muttered. I stroked a hand through his blond hair.

"You need to believe you can Sting. If we use all our resources, and all our power, we can easily beat the crap out of Phantasm… and then we can save Rogue too" I said confidently. He didn't look convinced so I took the only other course of action. Remind him of his friends and allies… and of my love too. I kissed him sweetly.

/

Sting melted into the kiss quickly; intensifying it as he opened his mouth to allow me entrance. Slipping my hands around his shoulders, he pulled me onto his lap and curled his arms around my waist. We broke for air momentarily, big grins on our faces.

"That's how you cheer a guy up" Sting said, a more open tone in his voice, although there was still a hint of reluctance. _That has to go to_ I thought with a panted smile.

"Yeah. I haven't got to repay you for earlier…" I said with a grin, eyes gesturing to Sting's hard on that was so very close to my own semi-hard member. Sting smirked up at me.

"What do you want, Natsu?" Sting said, voice going to a lustful whisper. I kissed him briefly.

"You, Sting" I replied, in a tone as equally lustful, but also pleading.

"What my _little dragon_ wants, he gets" Sting said playfully, before kissing me once more. It was more intense than before, and much more passionate too. When we broke for air, Sting ran his hand up my torso and up to my neck. "Maybe you can leave some marks on me too" he said, gesturing to the marks at my neck and nipple. I smirked darkly.

"Yeah. I'm gonna mark you all up" I taunted. He laughed, before he was cut off by my hungry lips. We kissed deeply for a long while, until I found myself grinding subconsciously at Sting's groin, causing him to moan at the friction.

"Fuck… Natsu" he said involuntarily.

"I knew you wanted it" I said with a devilish tone of victory.

"Shut up. Your supposed to be the one moaning and desperate" he complained with a mocking pout. This made me smirk even more.

"Maybe your little dragon wants to become a bit _bigger_ and more _in control_ " I said with a cocky tone. Sting pulled me in closer, so that our chests were pressed right up against each other.

"Don't tell me I have to teach you why _I'm_ in charge..." Sting said with a predatory grin. I returned it.

"Maybe you do" I said, again with a cocky tone.

"I'm not fucking you in the guild, Natsu" Sting warned "But I might teach you your lesson _next time_ " he added. I stroked a hand through his blond locks once more.

"Fine, no fucking… but what about blowing" I said with a suggestive raise of the eyebrows. He shook his head playfully, a grin on his lips.

"You know _exactly_ what to say, don't you… my little dragon" Sting said, before kissing me once more. In his eyes I could see no doubt or fear now. _Good, glad I could help you out too… Sting_ I thought, as I allowed for things to get 'fired up' in the baths.

And _I love bathing with Sting_ I screamed internally.

 **End of Chapter 26**


	27. Chapter 27 - Drink and be Merry

**Chapter 27 – Drink and be Merry**

 **Sting POV**

Although my fears made me apprehensive to do anything with Natsu I soon found his perfect lips pressed against my own and all those fears slipped away as something more _urgent_ called me to action. I closed my eyes as our kiss deepened, tongues colliding and sliding over one another. "Natsu…" I moaned into the kiss as the Fire Dragon Slayer ground once more into my lap, causing the most delicious friction between us. He smirked as he too closed his eyes. I kept my arms wrapped around his waist, holding him close to me, as he wrapped his arms around my neck, and his hands sifting through my hair.

Eventually we broke apart with satisfied looks. "All right, you can blow me" I said with a cocky smirk. Natsu began kissing along my neck.

"Mmm... we can do it on those benches if you like" he said with a subtle tone, "or right here in the water". I shook my head.

"Did you forget this is salt water Natsu?" I asked, running a hand through his pink strands.

"Fine, the bench it is" Natsu replied with a hungry gaze. I couldn't help but get a lustful shiver running through my spine.

"Yes…" I gulped, getting out of the warm water, only to sit down on the bench and be enveloped in Natsu's (literally) hot body. "N-Natsu…" I moaned out as he sat down on my lap, grinding down on my member as he did so.

"Are you _sure_ you don't wanna fuck?" Natsu said in his most chocolatey voice.

"Tempting but… no… not in the guildhall" I said, more to remind myself than to remind him. He pouted before glancing down below us.

"Fine, but I'm still going…" he stopped talking as I crushed my lips against his own. We kissed passionately but briefly as Natsu pulled away slightly. I had a grip on his back and head whilst he slid his hands lower and lower, until they were resting on my hips, just before my groin. He smirked devilishly. _Fuck that's hot_ … I thought. "Wadda ya want me to do Stiiiiing?" Natsu said in a pleading tone. He licked his lips slightly and I moaned out as he caused more friction between our members.

"D-do I have… to tell you, my little dragon" I said, my breath catching in my throat as Natsu slid his hands marginally further down.

He pouted with a mischievous look in his eyes. "You gotta tell me if you _want_ me to do it" he said. I found my hands climbing further up Natsu's back, threading them through his hair once I reached the back of his head.

"I want… you to suck me" I said breathlessly. He grinned wide.

"Okay then…" he grinned, before trailing kisses across my neck. I could feel his smirk and sure enough… he began sucking hard on my skin and nipping it, leaving a mark. I gave a little whine as he repeated this several times. He pulled away with a victorious look on his face.

"That's payment for earlier" he said in a cocky tone. "But oh… there's one more right?" he said mischievously. I looked at him skeptically before I realised what he was referring to. He smirked as he saw the realisation dawn, and then he began his descent, trailing kisses down my neck and then across my chest. He reached my left nipple and rolled his tounge over the bud. I gasped and moaned out, louder than even _I_ had expected, which made Natsu grow even more cocky. He kissed and flicked the bud several times before finally leaving a mark and pulling away from my skin once more, but not so far away that I couldn't feel his breath on my nipple. He was half-kneeling in front of me now, looking up with expectant eyes. He smiled and I shot him a grin in return, before using my grip in his hair to urge him lower. His smile broadened at this, but he complied, lowering himself until he was level with my hard on. He shot one last glance up before taking it in hand and running the flat of his tongue from base to tip.

"Ngn…Natsu" I moaned out suddenly as a wave of pleasure overtook me from that simple action, causing my head to roll back against the wall. He was grinning as he repeated it several more times. Each time I moaned out a little bit more, but a part inside me needed even _more_. As Natsu neared my cock again I pressed into his head and hair. He understood and stopped his playing to move on to the main event.

"So… hot…" I moaned out as Natsu engulfed my head in his fire-eating mouth. "Fu-ck…" He ran his tounge over the slit, before devouring more of my hard length. He took in more and more until he reached the base, before trailing back up. Each time he reached up back to my head he ran his tounge a few times over the slit, eliciting loud moans from me. "N-Natsu… if you keep this up… I'll come early" I warned, however this just made the Fire Dragon Slayer more determined. He began to increase his pace, more forcefully flicking and using his tounge over my length. I intensified my grip on the bobbing head, holding onto that perfect pink hair. Eventually I reached my limit. "Fuck Natsu, I'm coming" I warned. I locked eyes with Natsu, he increasing his pace even further. "Fuuuuck, Natsu…" I moaned out at last, my orgasm shooting up through my body, causing my hold on Natsu's hair to become tight and almost painful.

The Fire Dragon Slayer began swallowing down my seed as I rode out my orgasm. After a short few moments of pleasure induced white out I returned as Natsu took out of his mouth my wilting cocking. "How did you enjoy that, Sting?" he asked as he crawled up onto the bench besides me. I shot him a smile, before pulling him in for a kiss. I immediately opened my mouth to allow Natsu entrance, tasting myself on his intruding tounge. "Damn I taste good" I said when we pulled away again. This made Natsu nod with glee.

"That's why I like _tasting_ you" he said, running a hand along my abs, "as well as touching you and feeling you and… kissing you" he added. I reached down once more a gave him a quick kiss.

"Come on, let's get back in the water" I said, eyes motioning over to the tub. He grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I like taking baths with you Sting" Natsu said as we both slipped under the water. I scooted as close as possible to him, putting an arm around him.

"I like to take baths with you Natsu… although something tells me if we spend too many baths together we won't keep very _clean_ " I said, raising my eyebrows. Natsu smiled up at my comment, before resting his head on my shoulder.

"Yeah, but they would be _fun_ , right?" he chuckled. I laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, they would be fun" I agreed. We both then sat, just enjoying each other's company. _I haven't gotten to just sit with him like this since I got back_ I noted, a little bit of remorse, _but at least I_ do _get to spend at least some time with him though_ I tried to cheer myself up. It really wasn't that hard to do since it was Natsu I was thinking about after all. I rested my chin on his head, my nose taking in the scent from his hair; salty, but still distinctly Natsu. It soothed me more than any words or actions ever could and all that turmoil I had felt was just washed away.

/

After another half an hour or so me and Natsu reluctantly got out of the bath. "Aww… but couldn't we stay just a little longer" Natsu whined as I had to practically drag him out of the bath.

"No. I've got work to do Natsu" I defended. Honestly I wouldn't mind 'just a bit longer' but I really did have some paper work I needed to finish. Natsu huffed.

"But we have never got to spend time like this" he pleaded, taking my hand as I slipped on my trousers and underwear. I looked straight into his perfect dark black eyes. Blue met black and each didn't want to back down.

"We get to spend at least _some_ time together Natsu, be happy about that" I said, "you knew I'd have to work a lot more when I got to Sabertooth, right?" he nodded, "so you'll just have to put up with it" I said. He interlocked out fingers and stood close enough that our bare chests pushed up against each other.

"Alright Sting, I'll play nice" he said, "but we _do_ get to spend at least _tomorrow night_ together, right?" I smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, we will" I said. He smiled warmly, love clear in those eyes, but also excitement at what was to come.

"Good. Now… I'll get changed and start working on that door. You go work on your stuff _Master Sting_ , then come see me later either before you go home, or you know… _whenever_ " Natsu said, taking a slightly controlling tone in his voice. I kissed him fleetingly, before we broke away and started getting changed. "Sounds like a plan" I said, "If you need anything, like tools or stuff, find either Yukino or just come see me, and we can arrange for things to be found" I said, putting on my vest and finally my boots. Natsu nodded over to me, he was only in his trousers, doing up his belt clasp.

"Sounds good. I was just going to use my flames to reattach the hinges and then double check the lock still works. You might need a erm…"

"Lock smith" I finished.

"Yeah, if it's bust though. I'm better at taking doors off of walls than putting them up" he said rubbing the back of his head and looking at me sheepishly. Fully clothed I walked over to him and gave him a quick kiss and a cocky smile, before rearranging my clothes to cover up the marks as best as I could; I didn't have a scarf all the time unfortunately.

"Yeah, I know you are. I don't expect you to know that stuff anyways, so it doesn't matter. Boyfriends are only really needed for two things" I smirked.

He cocked his head. "What two things?" he asked. I chuckled as I went to leave, being very careful with the door.

"Kissing and fucking" I said coyly, before bidding him goodbye. I heard him chuckling in agreement as I left. _Well… maybe three things; kissing, fucking and… loving I suppose._

/

 **Natsu POV**

I spent the next two hours fixing the door. I started by trying to heat the metal hinges until they melted slightly, then reform them to fit the door. It took a few attempts before the metal got heated enough, but then when I fixed the broken one it looked uneven and so I figured I'd be a 'good boyfriend' and make the other one match. I used my bare hands to smooth out the metal, it wasn't like it was burning me, and then decided to splash some water on to get it to cool quickly. I had to go off and find a bucket, which took only a few minutes, in order to do this, but it was worth the time it took. _Everything I do is a distraction… but at least I can be helpful_ I had thought as I returned swiftly with the bucket in hand. I then proceeded, after fixing the hinges to a point which I was satisfied with, to work on tidying up the place. I had noticed whilst working, that I could smell our little _activity_ from earlier, and found that we hadn't been as _clean_ as we though. I used the bucket to splash water around to clean up some of the messes and then went to my _secondary_ plan. It had also occurred to me that Sting had decided to graffiti on that wall. I had been amused to find the description of himself as DRAGONSLAYER KING, however I decided to amend this a little. Using my flames, I quickly heated the room, evaporating the water that I had been using to clean. The steam which formed droplets on the walls allowed me to smudge and wash off the crude ink that Sting had used and then remove the image completely. I then closed the door and went off to find Yukino.

She was in the middle of doing a stock take, but when she saw me she stopped and smiled. "Hey Natsu, what are you doing up and about?" she asked, before narrowing her eyes at me, "Does Sting know?". I put my hands up to show I intended nothing bad.

"Yes, he does know. I was just… helping to fix something up, and I needed paint. Do you have any in the store?" I asked. She looked at me suspiciously, before gesturing down to the papers she was holding.

"Why, yes we do actually… it's mostly just used for repairs, but I don't think Sting would mind… _you_ … using it" she gave me a sly wink. _She's just as bad as Lucy_ I thought, seeing the implication in Yukino's words.

"Yeah, that'll be great" I replied to her. She took me over to some crowded and slightly dusty corner, before gesturing to a pile.

"Just take whatever you need, they're brushes over there too, if you need them" she told me, "Now I've got to get back to work". I shot her a grateful smile.

"Thanks Yukino" I said as she went off to finish her audit. I looked through the pile of different paints, deciding to take a red and a yellow paint, along with a couple of brushes. I then proceeded to more sneakily return to the room.

I slipped inside and began my 'redecorating'. "Sting is gonna _love_ this" I grinned as I proceeded to graffiti on the very wall I had just washed clean.

/

It was late into the evening before I finished. I stood back to admire my work. "This'll be a nice surprise for him" I said, before cleaning myself up in the now colder water in the tub. Once I was clean, and all evidence of both my own and our joint activity was gone, I left the room, ensuring the water drained out as I went.

I traversed the corridors in my own little world, wondering how Sting would react to what I had done. I stopped as I bumped into somebody. The wizard turned.

"Hello Natsu" Rufus said, "I'm not having the best luck walking along the corridors today, I don't remember a time when I have ever bumped into _one_ wizard _,_ never mind two _"_ he said. I rubbed the back of my head and shot him an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something" I said. He smiled courteously.

"It's fine. I had heard that you confirmed the little hypothesis I had, is that correct?" the bard asked me. I cocked my head before I realised as to what he was referring to. Sting had told me briefly of what Rufus had shown him, however I was in too much of a bad mood to pay proper attention.

"Yeah, I noticed a difference in that guy's smell" I said, a faint growl in my voice.

"I'll have to remember how sharp your nose is" Rufus said, before making a move to continue walking on. "I'm going to go review my memories once more and double check there is nothing else I may have missed" he said, before bowing shortly and leaving.

"Alright, see ya around" I said, before continuing on to mine and Rogues room. I entered and was immediately met by a chatter. Lector and Frosch sat on the now conscious Rogue's bed, the three discussing things. They stopped as I arrived.

"Hey Natsu" Lector said with a grin.

"Hey Lector" I replied in kind, moving over to the group, "What are you talking about?".

"Oh… nothing…" Lector said with a slight guffaw. Rogue shot him a glare.

"Lector" he said sternly, knocking the exceed lightly on the head, "don't be so rude". I shrugged.

"I don't mind if you were talking about me… or Sting" I said, a sly smirk on my lips. Lector snorted again. _Sting then_ I thought. Rogue rolled his eyes.

"We were talking about Sting's… habits" Rogue informed me. _Habits?_

"What habits?" I asked, wanting to know more. Even Rogue blushed faintly at that.

"Well… well…" he stuttered. It was surprising to see this from him. Lector was falling about laughing now. Frosch just kept his smile on.

"About his 'bed time' habits" the frog/exceed said. Rogue smirked slightly, before knocking his exceed lightly on the head too. Lector was a bundle of gasps and chuckles now. I couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of me.

"Just tell me Rogue" I said, trying to ignore the two exceeds and failing.

"Well… it's about… we wondered if… you and Sting had… erm… mated" Rogue said, "or were going to". I frowned slightly at his question.

"We haven't mated… but we want to" I said bluntly. The Shadow Dragon's eyes went wide. Lector stopped his laughing.

"Really?" the exceed asked. I nodded.

"We've talked about it before and we said we would like to be mated… but we'll have to figure some stuff out first… does that answer your question?" Rogue nodded, whilst Lector grinned again.

"There was one more thing…" he said. Rogue nearly leapt up to grab the exceed, but he was too slow. "Who would be the mater and who would be the mate-ee" the cat burst out. Rogue groaned whilst I laughed.

"You mean you were talking about _who tops and who bottoms_?" I burst out in reply. Rogue groaned even deeper.

"It was just a thought… Lector makes such a big deal out of it… I can't picture you being so passive, but then again… Sting isn't the passive type either, is he?" Rogue said at last. I went wide eyed.

"You mean you've actually thought about this, like... seriously" I said with shock. Rogue nodded.

"From what I know in all Dragon Slayer relationships there's always… for want of a better term, the passive and aggressive. I know that in Gajeel and Levy's case which way round those two would be… but I couldn't figure out you two. And Lector noticed me thinking and decided to have his input too" Rogue said, with slight embarrassment. _So he keeps a level head about his own death, but not about our little relationship_ I thought with vague amusement.

"If you _really_ want to know I can tell you" I said, teasing them. Rogue shook his head.

"I really don't… I think it would bring about a whole different view about you two together that I don't really want to see" he admitted. I shrugged.

"Fair enough. Happy's the same… now" I added with an undeniable grin. Rogue worked out what I was implying and shook his head vigorously.

"You aren't allowed to do _that_ in our apartment… I don't want that scent lingering around the place" he said sternly. I held up my hands.

"Fine… Sting can always get a cheap hotel room because of his place as Master" I said. Rogue nodded.

"Good. Keep it like that" he said. I smiled and wandered over to my bed, the amusing interaction with Rogue and the exceeds, as well as the work I had been doing in Sting's private room allowing me to fall into an easy and comfortable sleep.

/

 **Sting POV**

After my fun with Natsu I returned to my office and a pile of paperwork. Yukino had passed me on her way to do a stock take. "The Council has sent you some more information on Phantasm" she informed me, before continuing on. I nodded, but was surprised to see the amount of work they had sent. Although most of it seemed to be somewhat irrelevant there was bits and pieces which linked to Spectral Magic, even a few fairy tales, like the ones Mavis spoke of. I glanced over each of these, however it was exactly as the First Master had said; there was very little information in them, just speculation and rhymes.

It took me a few hours to read them through, and by the end I was incredibly tired. I was only brought out of my sleepy daze, however, by the materialization of Makarov at my door. "Am I interrupting anything Sting?" he asked politely, noting my pile of read and unread sheets. I smiled.

"Not anything I wouldn't regret missing" I said with a slightly dazed tone, trying to shake back the fatigue.

He smiled amusedly. "Good. I was just informing you the mission was a success. Your representative performed most excellently, upholding the guild well, whilst still performing his task" Makarov said. I smiled deeper.

"That's good to hear. I'll file it away later" I said, glad of the good news. Makarov nodded in understanding.

"Anything useful?" he asked, gesturing to the paperwork. I shook my head hopelessly.

"No, it's just as Mavis said. It looks like, if we ever do go up against Phantasm, we'll be doing it blind" I said, my tone flat and unwelcome. _I don't want to stand up to him, only to be cut down again… and I don't want it to happen to Natsu… or the guild… or anyone_ I thought grimly. Makarov noted my tone and accurately assumed my thoughts. "I don't know why he's targeting me or Natsu either" I added, making my voice take on an even darker tone as another unpleasant thought rose in my mind; me sitting at Natsu's bedside… him in pain, as I had been to him not that long ago.

Makarov then turned to me. "In Fairy Tail, when faced with a problem that will require of me, or the guild, to do something dangerous, I always like to follow the phrase; eat, drink and be merry…".

"For tomorrow we may die" I finished off in a low tone "I've always thought that phrase was a bit of a pointless one, who could be happy for an occasion like that" I commented monotonously. I was shaking as Makarov scowled up at me.

"For tomorrow we fight to live another day" he stated. "That's how _I_ think the phrase should end" he emphasized, putting as much will to fight in his voice as possible. I couldn't help it and smiled back at him. _It's true that we should fight to live_ I thought, slightly more hopefully.

"Yes, your right Makarov. I'll fight… with Natsu… so that Rogue, and Sabertooth, Fairy Tail, even all of Fiore, can live on without Phantasm's shadow" I chorused, a tone of confidence shining through much more clearly than just before. I watched Makarov nod in approval.

"That's the spirit, glad to know your stay in Fairy Tail showed you how to keep optimistic" Makarov stated. I nodded.

"I never understood true friendship and bonds in a guild until Natsu showed me them at the Games" I said, images of Natsu and Gajeel's brave effort in the Chariots game. I may have hated it then, but looking back it just seemed such a perfect moment for both Fairy Tail and Natsu. _It's for him that I'll fight, Natsu… and Rogue_ I silently resolved. Makarov shuffled slightly and I only then I realised I had gone quiet. "Sorry," I started, "If you want to read anything on Phantasm just ask…" I said. The old man shook his head.

"I think I'd rather spend some time to relax. I haven't had a day off in ages, and these inspections give me the perfect time to have some well-earned rest. Oh… and whilst I was out there was nothing but rumors about Phantasm attacking our guilds circulating at the moment, sorry… but I haven't found any information either" he said, a tone of apology. I nodded in understanding.

"From what we know, that was to be expected really" I admitted. He nodded before turning to leave.

"I'll leave you to it then Sting" Makarov commented before leaving. I watched him go before returning to my reading. The silent resolution I made working its way into my consciousness, spurring me on into even more frantic action. _Yes… Natsu and Rogue, Mate and Friend… these are what I will fight for…_ I repeated, calming the raging sea of emotions I was failing to quell earlier.

/

It was late when I finally finished up. Yukino had come into my office, informing me that she was going. I nodded, bidding her a 'good night' and also reminding her of the dangers with Phantasm lurking. She was prepared for this, as expected, and had arranged for the whole guild to travel in pairs and stay together in order to avoid incidents. I was welcoming of her foresight on my behalf and thanked her deeply. I had then worked for a lot longer than expected, finishing my report on Makarov's first inspected job, before slamming down my pan and looking at the clock. 10PM.

"Wow… that's late even for me" I said aloud, "Guess I'll call it a night" I added a little more cheerfully. I thought about Natsu somewhere in the guild, probably asleep. _I wonder if he did actually fix that door_ I thought, making a mental note to look for carpenters in case I needed one. I locked up the office as I wandered the halls down to Natsu and Rogue's room, working out whether I should just sleep there, or actually go home. _Depends if Rogue'll let me I suppose_ …

I entered the darkened room and found Rogue asleep, an unpleasant look on his face. It sent a pang of fear for him running through me, but I pushed this aside as I looked over to Natsu… and was met with a smiling face.

"Hey Sting…" Natsu whispered, "Finally finished working?" I looked, briefly confused, before I realised Natsu had been waiting for me because I said I'd come find him when I was done. This made that very familiar feeling spread rapidly through my chest.

"Yeah, I'm done now Natsu… are you not tired?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I slept earlier… are you tired?" he replied with a calm demeanor. I shrugged.

"About as tired as I always am" I said, motioning for him to come outside. He nodded and followed me up. "Walk with me…" I asked him, he smiled, and took my hand.

"Is it okay if I do this… in the guild" he said, slightly unsurely. I nodded.

"Yeah, nobody is about now, so we should be okay. If I smell anyone coming, or you do, just let go, okay?" he nodded in understanding.

"I wish we could just do what we wanted, but okay" he agreed. I smirked.

"And what is it _you_ want to do?" I asked, a wry tone in my voice.

He kissed me on the cheek. "Mate you, then fuck you all I like… then kiss you, and go on dates, and do whatever we wanted together" Natsu said, the fire in his eyes glowing brighter. I squeezed his hand.

"We might get to… in the future… if everything works out okay" I said, voice getting progressively lower.

"Hey, don't get like that… I don't want to see you so down when we're all alone" Natsu said, voice and tone cheerful. "I know… I wanna show you something" he said, a slightly mischievous look and tone of voice in that phrase. _What's got him like that?_ I thought skeptically.

He raised his eyebrows and stopped. I shook my head and smiled. "Go on then" I said. He grinned wide and then led we quickly through the halls. Eventually I figured out where we headed; my private room. We stopped at the door. "You fixed the door" I said, sounding more surprised than I had expected. This made Natsu pout.

"I promised I would" he said, tone slightly hurt. I smiled warmly at him.

"I'm sorry, I know you did… was this what you wanted to show me?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No. One more thing… but I want to cover your eyes so it'll be a surprise" Natsu said excitedly. I shrugged and allowed him to wrap his scarf over my eyes. "No peaking" he said, tone childish. It was amusing to see Natsu so giddy, but it also made me burst with anticipation.

"I won't just hurry up, the suspense is killing me" I said, tone also a little childish I noticed.

Natsu giggled as he carefully directed me into the room. He was obviously positioning me as he pulled and pushed me around until I was facing a very specific direction. He giggled even more as he let me go. "Alright, open up" he said at last. I quickly removed the scarf and carefully handed it back to him, opening my eyes.

"Oh Natsu… that's brilliant" I said as surprise took over me. All over the wall was a large mural.

My eyes trailed over it all. Natsu was grinning all the while. Whilst quite basic in drawing, there was clearly a Natsu and Sting.

"It's our story together… so far" Natsu said, waiting for me to respond. I pulled him close and kissed him deeply and lovingly.

"I love it" I said. Natsu smiled at me.

"Thanks" he said. My eyes trailed over the mural. "The first image, that one there" he pointed to one up in the corner, it showed a Natsu in red paint sitting on a higher balcony watching a yellow Sting painting from a height, "That was when you first came to Fairy Tail and I was too scared to talk to you at the party" Natsu blushed. I ruffled his hair with my hand as we stood shoulder to shoulder, my arm around his waist and out fingers interlocked.

I pointed to the next one along. It showed a red Natsu kneeling over a collapsed yellow Sting. "That's the one on our job right?" I asked. He nodded.

"It was an important step on _us_ , right?" he asked, unsure now. _He must wonder how I feel about that reminder… that's so cute._

"It was, don't worry, I like it all" he seemed to relax a bit again, "And that one" I pointed to the next one along where red-Natsu was shown crying over yellow-Sting in a lying down position, "That's from when I woke up at that Doctor's house?" Natsu nodded.

"And the next one along is when we went on our first date" he gestured to a cluster of images, one of us sitting at a table, one of us in amongst some trees, and one with me holding Natsu's hand. "And that one is us when we dressed up as cats" he pointed to an image slightly further along. I chuckled at the memory, and Natsu blushed.

"You liked it when I dressed up like that, didn't you Natsu?" I mused. Natsu pouted.

"Shut up… I thought it was slightly hot, so what?" I rolled my eyes, and looked at a few more images. Natsu seemed to be enjoying this alongside me, our little time together in pictures, and we soon sat down on one of the benches, regaling ourselves with our memories, the good, and the bad. _Somehow, no matter how down I feel, Natsu always… always, is able to cheer me up_ I thought as I watched the cheerful pink haired Dragon Slayer explain a few more pictures. I stroked his cheek and kissed him, interrupting his speech.

"Natsu… do you wanna just sleep, no sex, just sleep in the same room tonight… the same bed?" I asked. He nuzzled into my chest.

"I would like sex… but sleep with you sounds good too" he said. I nodded, and after over half an hour of just sitting there together, we went back to Natsu's room, stripped down to our underwear and curled up into bed together, putting the sign we quickly whipped up on the door; DO NOT DISTURB, to avoid any accidental sights.

"Good night Natsu… and… thank you for that, it's great, I love you" I said tiredly. Natsu nuzzled up close to me.

"I love you too Sting… and thank you too" he said, before we both fell into a peaceful rest.

 **End of Chapter 27**


	28. Chapter 28 - Prepared

**Chapter 28 – Prepared**

 **Rogue POV**

I awoke sometime early, judging by the faint light filtering in from the slightly covered window. I check against the clock. "It's only 4AM…" I groaned as my mind processed waking up this early. I had always been one for late nights, probably something to do with my magic, but I always made sure I got enough sleep. _Sleep…_ The word sent a pang of fear through me. Although I kept on a brave face for everyone I couldn't shake this dreadful nightmare from my mind. Every time I closed my eyes it was always the same; Me in a world of pitch darkness, standing over Sting, about to bring down the final blow, him with a look of pity on his face. Although recently this scene had changed somewhat the message was the same. In some versions I had heard a roar, Natsu, barreling up out of some dark corner only to fall short as I claimed Sting's life, or even worse, me cutting Natsu down in front of Sting, only then to kill the White Dragon Slayer whilst he struggled. I just couldn't detach myself from these thoughts, and every time I saw the two together I felt an even greater fear at what I will eventually end up trying to do. The only mantra that allayed my fears somewhat was the repeating thought that Natsu and Sting would stop me, by any means, if it ultimately came to that.

Thinking of the Fire Dragon Slayer I turned and looked over to his bed. My eyes immediately went wide with surprise. "Sting? Natsu?" I muttered. When I had looked over I saw Sting and Natsu curled up together, in only their boxers. My nose scented no evidence of them having 'done' anything, which relieved me. I didn't want to go around smelling _that_ all day today. "Those idiots… couldn't even spend more than one day apart" I muttered grumpily, although a faint smile played over my lips.

"Mmm… Sting…" Natsu muttered in his sleep. The thought and sight of them two together again sent a pang of fear running through me, which I desperately tried to quell. _There's no use in trying to give in to my fears, I know Sting and Natsu, and all the others, are doing their best… I'll just have to do my best too and keep myself occupied_ I thought, trying to reclaim some element of sanity. I subtly heard the door open slightly and looked once more over. I smiled gently.

"Hey Frosch" I whispered. The tired, dressed up exceed rubbed its eyes.

"Rogue, you're awake?" the exceed asked, padding quietly over to my bed.

"Yes. Were you sleeping outside?" I asked gently. Frosch nodded.

"There was a sign on the door, it said 'do not disturb' so I slept against the door" Frosch explained. I patted my buddy on the head.

"That's okay, you can sleep here with me" I said warmly, it soothed me to have Frosch so close at hand. Frosch smiled, before swiftly returning to sleep, curled up against me. _Those two must've put up a sign to stop people walking in by accident_ I thought, flicking my gaze over to the other Dragon Slayers momentarily. _Not that I can really blame them… but if they really do intend to mate then they will have to tell everyone eventually_ I added mentally. Before I could think on it any longer I felt fatigue pulling me back to those dreaded nightmares. "Damn it…" I thought as my mind went hazy once more.

/

 **Natsu POV**

I woke warm and happy, although could not immediately remember why. When I opened my eyes I remembered. Sting slept soundly beside me, curled up with his head almost buried into my shoulder. _He loved it_ I remembered suddenly, the events in that private room swimming back. _I showed Sting 'our story' and he loved it!_ I felt much happier and energetic. Before I could leap up Sting murmured something inaudible in his sleep. _That's so cute_ I thought, pulling my focus of attention back down to my love beside me. I cuddled up close to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and kissing him softly on his forehead. "Good morning Sting" I said quietly, aware of Rogue in the other bed. Sting smiled in his sleep and I ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it in the most perfect way. _He's too cute_ …

I was drawn to the other bed as my ears picked up something. A mild chuckle. I propped myself up slightly to see Rogue smirking at me. "Good morning, you idiot" Rogue said amusedly, propping himself up on one arm.

"Hey…" I retorted, being careful not to raise my voice.

" 'Hey' yourself. I can see you were busy there, but I just couldn't help it. You two really couldn't have spent more than one day apart?" Rogue said. I glanced him over, and noticed Frosch curled up near Rogue in his bed.

"No we couldn't…" I admitted, laying back down, but positioning myself so that I could see Rogue over the top of Sting's head. "We talked last night and then… came here. We didn't do anything; I swear" I explained. Rogue nodded.

"I know; I would've been able to smell it otherwise" Rogue said, also going back to laying down. "You also put a sign up so people wouldn't come in, right? Frosch slept outside the door until early this morning" I blushed slightly in embarrassment.

"Yeah, we did. I'm sorry if it annoyed Frosch" I apologised on Sting's behalf, it was his idea to put the sign up after all.

Rogue shook his head. "He didn't mind, although I would probably tell him that he can still come in if you do it again" Rogue replied. "I think that I've had enough of this room though, I want to go out somewhere later today" he added. I chuckled.

"Well, we did make that agreement with Sting, I get to hang around with you today, then I get to _hang around_ with Sting later" I grinned. Rogue huffed.

"Baby sitting duty" he muttered. I laughed.

"For which one of us though?" I replied, that put a smile on Rogue's face.

"True. Now, I think we should wait for Sting to wake up, then we can properly discuss what's going to go on today" Rogue said, closing his eyes. I smiled and ran my hand once more through Sting's hair.

"What time is it?" I asked the Shadow Dragon Slayer. He muttered something again before responding.

"About 7AM" he stated.

"Give Sting another 30 minutes then he'll be awake, trust me" I said. Rogue nodded with his eyes remaining closed.

"I know; it's always like him" I nodded in agreement although Rogue didn't see me. _It's weird to think that I know so much about Sting, but that Rogue knows all about him too. Like when he wakes up, and what he's like… um… masturbating_ memories of one of my earlier conversations with Rogue swam to the forefront of my mind. I giggled slightly, as a particular image of Sting popped into my head.

 _I'm going to check this out for myself at some point_ I resolved internally.

/

We waited the agree 30 minutes and sure enough Sting began to wake up; although that may have been my doing. Once the time was up Rogue seemed surprised that Sting wasn't awake, but I just shrugged. "I'll wake him up" I said. Rogue looked as if he was going to question me on how, however he soon saw. I slowly began to get closer to Sting, until we were directly facing each other. _He does look cute when he sleeps_ I thought, analyzing the sleeping White Dragon Slayer. I smirked, before I poked him lightly on the nose. "Hey Sting…" I whispered, "Wake up". He murmured slightly, but was otherwise still asleep. I grinned even wider as I slid my hand down his front, rubbing his abs underneath the sheets. "Hey Sting…" I whispered slightly louder; still no response. Rogue was looking over vaguely amused. I winked at him and mouthed 'one more time'.

"Hey Sting…" I said aloud. He smiled and then I kissed him. Sting responded after a moment, kissing me back lazily.

"Good morning Natsu…" he yawned out when we finished. I stroked a hand through his hair.

"Good morning sleepy Dragon" I stated with a smile. Rogue coughed.

"I've never thought of waking him up like that" he said to me with a tone of amusement. "I've literally tried hitting him, prodding him, poking him, shouting, even threatening Lector hasn't worked. Yet that does, strange" the Shadow Dragon recalled.

Sting rubbed his eyes as he perched on one arm, facing in Rogue's direction. "I would definitely wake up if you kissed me" I pouted at him and he grinned his usual grin, "Then I would beat you around for it" he added. I chuckled as Rogue huffed.

"Well at least your mood when you wake up is better for it" he said, eyeing Sting and me. Sting nodded.

"That's true, how could I not be in a great mood waking up with a kiss" Sting said. I punched him lightly on the arm. He shot me a slightly amused look as I blushed a little.

"Shut up, I only did it because I _know_ you won't wake up for anything else… well one other thing would've worked" I said. Rogue went wide eyed.

"Don't worry, he wouldn't do _that_ in front of you Rogue, right Natsu?" Sting lay back, his eyes falling on me. I shrugged, before resting my head on his shoulder, and grinning at Rogue.

"I might have if I _really_ needed you to wake up" I said with a mischievous look to my eyes. Sting laughed as Rogue kicked his legs over the side and shot me a glare.

"I mean what I said last night, _I don't want to see it, I don't want to smell it_ " the Shadow Dragon reiterated. Me and Sting laughed a little too loudly. Rogue continued glaring until his attention was drawn to the shuffling beside him.

"What's going on?" Frosch asked, uncurling itself from its sleep ball and rolling its eyes.

"Nothing, just those two being idiots" Rogue commented scooping up his exceed buddy into his arms.

"Okay" Frosch replied, looking over at us. Me and Sting looked at the exceed momentarily, before Sting looked at me confused.

"When did Frosch come in? Was he there when we went to sleep?" Sting asked. Rogue frowned.

"You put up a sign on the door to stop people accidently walking in, right?" he said. Sting nodded, but then went wide eyed with realisation.

"You were sleeping outside Frosch?" Sting asked the exceed. Both Rogue and Frosch nodded in unison. Sting hung his head, well as much as he could from his laying position.

"Sorry" he mumbled. I smiled at him, it was cute to see him asleep, but even cuter to see him genuinely sorry.

Frosch did a little salute. "It's okay".

Sting brightened up and looked at me. "Looks like we got away with it then" he beamed at me. I nodded.

"Yep… now… do you think we could get up? I want to make the best of our little agreement" I said to Sting. He furrowed his brows.

"What agreement?... oh… that one" he thought hard, before a huge grin spread across his face.

"Baby sitting duty" Rogue mumbled, causing me to chuckle slightly once more, remembering or conversation from only a little while ago. This sent Sting back to a look of confusion, so I just kissed him briefly.

"Nothing you need to worry about" I reassured him, patting his cheek slightly.

/

 **Sting POV**

After waking me up and our short conversation we all got ready and left the room. Rogue seemed relieved just to see walls that weren't that same boring colour as the ones in his room. I had to go to my office, whilst Natsu went off somewhere in the guild, probably to find Makarov. Rogue decided to tag along with me so I could catch him up on what was going on. He had been pretty quiet since we left the room, however I just assumed this was because he was taking in the information I was giving him, but I decided to see what he was thinking about and make sure he was okay.

We stopped at my office door as I fished around for the keys. "Hey Rogue, you sure you're gonna be okay today?" I asked nonchalantly. He looked up at me.

"Yeah, I'm just glad to be out of that room. If I'm not able to use my magic though, I might just stick to some basic stuff around the guild for now" he replied. I smiled at him as I unlocked the door. _Straight to the point and boring as_ always. Besides me only Yukino and Rogue had keys to this office. There was a small stack of new work, obviously left by Yukino. I glanced over it and sighed.

"I'm going to have to fill all this in" I complained. Rogue nodded, looking at me intently.

"There's no excuse for not working Sting, plus, if you get it all done soon you're going to be able to spend more time with Natsu" Rogue smirked as he reminded me.

I shot him a 'I know you're right but I still hate you' glance and then sat down at my desk to get started. "Fine, I'll get to work. If you're looking for something to do Yukino was doing a stock take yesterday, she might have some errands for you to run" I commented. Rogue sighed.

"I hate not being able to go on jobs" he said flatly. I chuckled.

"Join the club" I replied, shooting him a pleasant smile, to which he nodded in agreement,

"I suppose so. I'll go find Yukino then, and you keep working" Rogue said, going to leave. I kept smiling.

"If you're going out don't forget to take Natsu with you" I reminded him, chuckling as he groaned.

"Damned Fire Dragon" he complained, before leaving completely. _He doesn't mind really, I know he's probably got some questions he wants to ask Natsu in private, and I know they haven't really had the chance to do that yet_ I thought as I heard Rogue's footsteps drift away, only to be replaced by someone else's. I looked up at the figure by the door.

"Yukino said I'd be going on the inspection today" Orga said, looming in the door's arch. I gave him a brief look of confusion, before shuffling around the papers on my desk. Sure enough there was a note; _I figured Orga's job should go next, it's on the top of the pile_. I sighed and shuffled around once more until I found the flyer. I handed it to Orga.

"This is it?" he asked, taking the paper and glancing over the contents.

"Yeah, apparently" I answered vaguely. He nodded and took the flyer.

"I'll go find Makarov then, I think he just entered the guild" he turned to leave.

"Alright, just don't screw up, and I don't want you destroying anything too expensive with your damned lightning" I scowled. The last job he went on unsupervised cost Sabertooth half of its jewel to fix. Orga grunted a reply before disappearing from view. _When did I become such a boring old man_ I thought, images of Makarov scolding Natsu popping into my head, making me smile broadly again.

 _I suppose that's the price of being a Master,_ I mused, _although Makarov must have it worse since he doesn't get any help_ I added, with a lot more sympathy for the old man.

/

 **Rogue POV**

After Sting had filled me in as we walked to his office I had a lot more to think about. My thoughts were cut short as I was approached by Yukino and Natsu. "Hey Rogue, you're up then" Yukino commented in greeting. Natsu stood a little awkwardly next to the celestial wizard. "I did a stock take yesterday and I've got a list of supplies and food that needs to be gathered from around town. Natsu said that he had to stick to you, and since you've got nothing else to do, could you go collect them?" Yukino shot me a smile which said it all; 'you've got no other option'. I nodded.

"Fine, Natsu, you coming?" I asked bluntly. Natsu nodded.

"That was the agreement I made with Sting, so yeah" he said, smiling. I shook my head. _I hope he doesn't go running off somewhere_.

"Now, I've got to go speak to Makarov and Orga before they set off, so I'll see you two later" Yukino said, rushing off again. Despite the fact Sting became Master, me and Yukino always seemed to find ourselves busy rushing around for this thing or that because Sting was always holed up in his office. Every so often we went on jobs for a few days just to relieve the boredom, however things really had changed since all three of us had joined under Jiemma. I sighed, a little bit of nostalgia for the more carefree days before passing over my mind, until the shuffling of Natsu pulled me instantly back to reality.

"Sorry, I spaced out" I apologised. Natsu shrugged his shoulders.

"If you kept like that I would've just run off until you came back" he commented casually. He shot me another grin. "Are we going then?" he asked. I sighed once more and nodded.

"Fine, let's get this over with" I replied half-heartedly. Natsu chuckled.

"We can always talk about _stuff_ " he said, "To pass the time". I looked at him skeptically as we exited the guild. _Stuff?_ I puzzled. Natsu's grin said it all thought. _He wants to talk about Sting?_ I guessed.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" I started. Natsu laughed slightly evilly.

"Well…" he started.

/

 **A little while later**

We had wandered around the market for a good hour or so. Since leaving the guild Natsu had a seemingly endless set of questions for me about Sting, us living together, and about the exceeds. He asked about how I met Frosch, and about what Sting was like before he became Master. He even went so far as to ask how I met Sting. I initially felt marginally uncomfortable talking about my guild mate, especially knowing what I did about Dragon Slayer relationships and the such, however over time it became easier, and soon me and Natsu were laughing as I recounted good times, and even a few bad, but funny stories.

We collected each of the items on the list. Mostly it was new furniture, drinks and other pieces, to replace those broken when Phantasm attack. There were also some emergency supplies and quite a lot of food, although that was to be expected with two Dragon Slayers, and one visiting Dragon Slayer, in the guild. Soon me and Natsu grew quiet again, however, as Natsu eventually exhausted his supply of questions. _Now's my chance_ I thought. There had been two things I had wanted to ask Natsu and Sting each individually, but had not gotten the chance since their arrival and 'big reveal'. Firstly, I built up a little to ask the Fire Dragon Slayer as he observed some particularly tasty looking fruits on a nearby stall. "Erm… Natsu," I got his attention, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you…" he looked over at me from the stall as I got closer to him after paying for the supplies.

"What do you want to know Rogue?" he replied pleasantly. I rubbed the back of my head with my free hand, in the other I carried several bags of goods; the furniture I had arranged to be collected by some other wizards later.

"Well… I was wondering if you could tell me something… _private_ " I sent him a slight look to let him know what I meant. It took him a few moments, but eventually realisation dawned on him as we moved away from the stall and onto our next location. We both kept our voices low.

"What is it?" he reiterated.

"Um… do you mind… if I ask when you… um… started to _like_ Sting?" I tried to be subtle but began to fail. _I'm really not cut out for relationship talk_ I thought.

"Er… sure" Natsu said, "Well… I guess you could say it was when I first met him, in the streets of Crocus" I looked at him quizzically. All I remember about that was them two at each other's throats. He registered my facial expression and explained in greater detail. "Yeah, I know that's a weird point to say that, since we did just fight it out back then, but I still felt _something_ … you know" he seemed to be having a hard time stringing the 'right words' together.

"Okay, but when did you…" I switched to a whisper so low only a Dragon Slayer's ears could pick it up, "realise you _love him_ ". Natsu gave it some thought.

"After the games… during that big dragon attack…" he looked at me and I realised he was trying to avoid the topic of future me. I gave him a slight nod to go on. He sighed out a breath. "When I heard future you killed him I went wild. My mind just screamed out for something. At the time I didn't realise it, but soon after that, when we approached me at the ball after the games, I think I finally figured it out… at least a little" Natsu blushed slightly. I was taken aback; I had never expected to hear something so personal… even something like that, coming from Natsu. It stunned me to silence; when I noticed Natsu's odd look I spoke up.

"That's… oddly nice Natsu…" I said. I don't think it had ever occurred to me that Natsu would have these kinds of deep feelings for Sting. I always viewed Sting as a close friend, and when I heard about what the future me would do I was shaken, determined to make it up to Sting in any way I could. It's what drove me to accept his relationship as readily as I could, some part of me believed that this would help me to cleanse the darkness I harbored and repay my sins to Sting, even if I would never really commit them. Hearing Natsu's confession stirred the Dragon Instinct inside me to help those I care about, as friends or as family. I then noticed Natsu was smiling brightly at me.

"Thank you Rogue. I've never told anyone that whole thing… not even Sting… and I feel like it's helped me to sort out just where Sting falls into my life. Yes, I may have only known him a very short while, but he's such an important part of me now… and I don't ever want to let him go… and also, thank you for accepting _us_ " he patted me on the shoulder friendlily. I was about to say something back but Natsu suddenly recoiled his hand.

I stared intently at him. "What's wrong?". His head whipped around.

"When I touched you I got a feel of his magic… now I can smell him" Natsu began growling lowly. His eyes darted around and I suddenly became confused. Only a second ago he had been blushing and smiling. He spun around to a direction I know all too well; the guild. "He's at the guild" Natsu roared. I needed no other reason. We both dropped our stuff and ran, sprinting through the streets and crowds until we reached the guild. There was indeed something wrong.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We arrived at the guild, only to stop in our tracks. My nose had been right as always.

Phantasm stared down Sting, Makarov, Wendy, Rufus, Orga, and several other Sabertooth guild wizards. Sting had a concerned expression on his face, his stance betrayed his intention to attack. Makarov was a towering giant, shadowing them all, Rufus stood ready to make his spells, Orga crackled with black lightning and Wendy's stance told me she was ready to roar or assist at a moment's notice. As soon as we approached Phantasm laughed. He hadn't crossed the threshold into the guild, but rather stood at its entrance. "Good, the party's all here then, the pieces on the board, the stage is all set, and so on" he grinned. He wore a strange black garb, reminiscent of a morning coat, but with a slightly bat wing-like design that made it look as if he had some form of wings himself. He was wearing yet another mask, however this one was plain with one side half black and a jagged line running into a white section. He laughed loud and high pitched.

I growled, Sting shot me a slight glance, but focused significantly more on Phantasm than he had previously. We could both tell, easily at this distance, he gave off a severe aura of bloodlust. Sting motioned for me, and I noticed Rogue had taken a step towards Phantasm, seemingly of his own accord. I held my arm out in front of him, to stop any further advance. He stopped. "What do you want here?" Sting asked, barely concealing his anger.

"Me… well… I still want chaos… but I also want some _fun_ " he answered, laughing once more. Sting roared louder, white scales engulfing his form as he activated his White Drive.

"No. You will leave. _NOW_ " he commanded. Phantasm tutted.

"Don't be so impatient. I came because I was told you had found something out about me…" he chuckled. I allowed flames to engulf my form too. He spun around to look straight at me. "Going to try another punch?" he taunted. I held my ground firmly.

"No, I'm going to rip your throat out if you don't leave" I answered menacingly. He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sure that'll work out well for you" he commented, before turning back to Sting and the assemblage. I nearly leapt up to punch him, but was stayed by another glance from Sting. "Anyways, putting aside your silly little Dragon's, I want to offer you something more… _interesting_ … than the game I was playing before" he said. I saw Sting's interest pique.

"What?" he asked bluntly. He still kept his Dragon form on just in case.

Phantasm giggled. "How does this sound… I know you put a stupid little block on my lovely little present… and that hurts my feelings deeply. So… I'm going to remove that now" This sent Sting into a rage.

" _You will do nothing to Rogue"_ he demanded, taking several steps forward and preparing a White Dragon Claw. Phantasm cocked his head.

"Oh, did that upset you… how about this then… I'll give you _one_ … no… _two_ days, then on the midnight of that second day I will claim my curse back and Rogue shall be no more. Ah, but if you can beat me then I'll remove it, do we have an accord?" he sent a smile towards me, then Sting, then Makarov. Sting seemed to consider it.

"It seems you're going to do it anyways, and we've got not choice…" he thought aloud. I gritted my teeth, there was no way out of this. _We're going to have to face Phantasm in two days' time_.

"You know your situation well… there really is no choice" Phantasm taunted, "But I will tell you this, I will _only_ fight the two puny lizards, fire and light" he gestured to me and Sting, "And I know just the place to fight… you know what lies east of here?" he directed this at Sting, who thought about it. His eyes went wide.

"There?" he asked. Phantasm nodded.

"Yes, we shall meet where it began" he stated cryptically, before bowing. "I look forward to our doing battle. This was a war you wanted after all" he faded into the air. Phantasm's echoing laugh resounded around once more, then cut off as he finally vanished.

Sting sent out a White Dragon Roar straight into the sky, obviously venting frustration. I allowed my flames to dissipate. Rogue suddenly collapsed, and I leapt out to catch him before he hit the ground.

"S... s… sorry" he whispered almost inaudibly. I shook my head.

"It's not your fault…" I stated. _No… it's mine. If I had defeated Phantasm that first time…_ I thought darkly, before greeting Sting, who ran up to us. He helped to support Rogue's weight as we once more got him inside the guild. He was still conscious, although barely, so we put him down in a wooden chair rather than one of the beds. Sting made sure he was alright, as Wendy fussed about him, making sure the seal was still in place. I stomped over to one of the few empty spaces, trying to vent my anger at being unable to stop Phantasm once again. _And he's hurt Sting again_ … I reminded myself.

After a few moments of chaos around the guild everything went quiet. Sting had gone to his office and a great sense of foreboding settled among us all. I was approached my Gramps, who just gave me a look of pity, before gesturing with his hand to follow him. I sighed, my hands at my sides bunched into fists as another sense of rage filled me. I pushed it down, trying to remind myself that there was still some time, however this had no real effect. _That man…_

He was the cause of all this strife, and I would be damned sure next time to kill him wherever he stands.

/

Gramps took me to Sting's office. We were silent as we entered and were met with a silent reception from Yukino and Sting, who were already present. None of us spoke for what felt like a long while. Eventually Sting took in a heavy breath and broke the silence.

"Two days…" he said aloud, although to no one in particular. I sighed and nodded.

"Two days…" I parroted. Yukino looked at our solemn expression.

"It's enough time to figure out how to beat this guy…" she said with failing optimism. _I'm not so sure_.

"We already know he is limited by daylight, and what his magic is…" Gramps added. This did not reassure us "I'm just glad I came back from that job when I did, if it was anyone else it would've taken all day, but Orga was very… thorough". Sting slammed his fist down on the desk.

"Damn it!" he cried out in frustration. Seeing him react so heavily and violently, both now and before, I felt the need to act; I took a step forward, but faltered.

"Sting…" I said, more to ask his permission to approach than anything else. He looked straight at me, eyes initially fierce, but quickly softened. I approached him and placed my hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright, we'll beat him" I said with false confidence; a feeble attempt to reassure him. We looked deep into each other's eyes for a long moment, before he took a shaky breath.

"I… don't know… Natsu…" he said in no more than a hoarse whisper. My heart wrenched hearing such a defeated tone from him. "I mean… we're going to fight him, but… I don't want to put you in danger…" he muttered. I couldn't bear to hear any other words come from him, so I shut him up the only way I knew I could. I pulled him into a close embrace and kissed him. When we pulled away Sting still looked shaken. I tried to smile at him.

"It's going to be okay. I know you'll worry about me, and I don't want you to be put in danger too… but together I know we can defeat him, and save Rogue" I voiced. At hearing the Shadow Dragon Slayer's name Sting's gaze fell downward. _Damn it_ … I took his chin in my hand and lifted it, aware that Makarov and Yukino were still in the room, but not really caring about that at this moment. "We've still got today and tomorrow to prepare…" I said. He nodded.

"Yeah… I don't really want to do anything else though…" he said. I looked at him confused for a moment. He registered my expression. "Sorry… I meant, I want to stay with you" he corrected. I smiled warmly.

"We can do that if you want…" I said. _Anything to make him happy, or happier I suppose_.

He nodded. "I want you to stay with me" he said. Gramps took this opportunity to jump in.

"It's best if you two stay in the same location at all times. We'll need to keep you safe until the battle. Are you both sure you want to go through with this?" I nodded, before looking at Sting. He was still wearing a mask of defeat, but he smiled.

"I'm sure… I've got to do this, for Rogue… and for everyone… once Phantasm is defeated we can all move on in peace" he resolved. With those few words he had completely changed his tone from defeat to confident. Well, more confident than before.

Makarov nodded. "Good. Remember; Drink and be merry…" he reminded. Sting chuckled mildly.

"I'll make sure you two can _prepare_ in peace. I'll keep _everyone_ away from you" Yukino said kindly, before giving us a slight wink. I realised what she was implying.

I whipped my head around to face Sting directly. "You want to do _that_ too? Or… just… you know… be together?" I asked. He smiled slightly.

"I think I need a distraction from this… from everything… please…" he said, a little more solemnly than I had been expecting. _He's still completely freaking out about this inside. Damned Guildmaster, putting on a brave face for everyone else… it's too much like him_ I thought. I kissed him fleetingly regardless.

"Alright then, I'll be your strength _and_ your distraction" I said, he nuzzled into my neck.

"Thank you…" he whispered gently.

/

We spent the next few minutes discussing things with Makarov and Yukino. Rogue was to be confined to the guild and maintained a close watch over by Wendy, Yukino and the Exceeds, as they would be able to tell if something went wrong with the curse and Rogue became consumed. Sting had been reluctant to say the word, so I had to finish it for him.

Once that was sorted, Gramps decided to take command on the research of our opponent, beginning by reading through all the notes the Magic Council had provided in order to see if anything was useful. He would also discuss things with Master Mavis to make sure they had all the information they could. After all this was decided Sting had turned to me with a slight smile. "Come on, let's leave. If anyone asks we can just say we're off to train, alright?" I had nodded readily.

After that we left the guild. Once outside Sting seemed to drop his 'Confident Guildmaster' act and became a lot more serious and reclusive. I really wanted to comfort him, remove that frown, kiss him until he felt better, however I refrained because of the damned public around us. Sting led us to his apartment; he wanted to collect something before we went to the inn, where we were less likely to be disturbed.

We walked in silence, I waited outside his apartment as requested, and then we continued on in silence. It wasn't the right atmosphere to talk; not out here after all that had just happened. I kept my thoughts focused solely on putting one foot in front of the other and avoiding running into people. I wanted to keep my mind clear of dark thoughts so I could focus on helping Sting when he would really need my support.

We reached the inn and entered, as we had done everything so far, in silence. This was only broken when I unlocked the door and allowed Sting inside. He took in the room with a slightly critical glance. I locked the door once more before smiling at him, an attempt to wipe away that deathly seriousness he had displayed on the walk. "Do you like it?" He returned my smile.

"Yeah, I picked it out" he stated, walking around a bit. It was pretty standard, a sofa was in one corner of the room, with the bed in the other. A bathroom adjoined it on one side and there was a small space that was separated by a dividing wall in which a tiny kitchen existed, although it was too small to really be useable, more there just to complete the set up I thought. I sat on the sofa, and Sting followed me. He sat a slight distance away, which I found odd as I had expected him to be practically on top of me from the off. I furrowed my brows.

"Sting… are you sure you're okay?" I asked concerned. He smiled weakly at me, his eyes showing fear, love, concern… a whole myriad of emotions amongst that ever present light that sparkled outward towards the world.

He nodded. "Yeah… I'm just… a little worried" he answered slowly. I did not hesitate, just reached out and took his hand.

"We'll defeat this guy" I repeated, for what felt like the thousandth time today. He looked more deeply at me, shuffling closer.

"I know, it's not that…" he said. This made me even more confused. Sting kissed me gently, his hand holding my face. He smiled. "I love you Natsu… and I want to… show you" he said.

"You want to have sex, right?" I asked, although not unwilling it just felt a little weird after the display of emotions I had seen Sting go through over the course of the last hour. Sting chuckled a little before shaking his head.

"I was having a long think about this, all the while when we were separated. I realised something," he stopped for a moment, trying to formulate his words, "You have showed me so many times the depths of your feelings, our first date was so perfect, those plushies, even that beautiful painting… yet I have done nothing" Sting sounded so saddened by this. I felt a wrench in my chest.

"You don't need to show me; I know you care" I blurted out. Sting shook his head.

"Even before, you willingly offered to put my fears before your own and 'be my strength', even when I'm weak you help me; another show of your love".

I bit back a little anger, Sting was being so defeatist. "You helped me in the forest… helped me reclaim my home, remember?" I noticed the slight whining tone in my voice and it surprised me.

Sting made derisive sounds. "That one time, and even that was more so I could go be with you in your house again… No. I feel like I need to show you Natsu" he sounded adamant. I got so close to him I was practically on top, looking at him with a fiercely adamant gaze of my own.

"I know how you feel Sting, you've said it and showed me so many times before" I said. He rummaged around in his pocket and brought out a white box, only slightly bigger than a ring box. I looked at it skeptically.

"I bought these. I wanted to give you them after tonight, but then Phantasm showed up and now… we have only tonight" he said finally. I took the box, flicking my gaze from it to Sting and back. Sting's eyes seemed so keen. "Open it" he said. I couldn't wait and opened it. I gasped.

"These are amazing" I said. Inside the box were two little metal bands. Bigger than rings, designed to be worn on the wrist. One each there was a figure, intricately designed out of metal; one in the shape of my face, but with the Sabertooth Emblem next to it, and the other had Sting's face with the Fairy Tail Emblem beside it. He smiled broadly.

"Do you like it?" he asked. I kissed him.

"Of course I do" I said happily, "I had thought you were worried about Phantasm, but really you were worried about what I would think about these, right?" He nodded.

"I wasn't sure if you thought it would be too obvious…" Sting admitted. "There is one other feature though" He smirked at this as I looked confusedly at the bands. He took the one that had my face and walked into the bathroom. "Pick up the band Natsu" he shouted once he was out of sight. I did so, carefully holding the other band and observing it closely. After a few moments the eyes of the Sting-face lit up with a faint light. Unsure of what to do I touched the face.

" _Can you hear me?_ " Sting voice sounded like a whisper, yet it seemed to be so close. I decided to try it.

"Yes" I replied unsurely. I could hear Sting laugh in amusement. After another moment the light vanished from the eyes and Sting reappeared. "What was that?" I asked the White Dragon Slayer, clutching the band slightly.

"It's a pair of communication lacrima, all you have to do is touch the face and think about me, talking to me, and it'll activate. The faint light on my own bracelet will tell me you're wanting to talk and I'll be able to respond. It has a pretty long range, we should be able to talk from each of our guild halls at least" Sting explained, sitting back beside me. I took this in.

"So… I can talk to you whenever I want?" I asked. Sting nodded.

"As long as we press the face in response we can talk. You deactivate the spell as soon as you take your hand away" Sting said. "It was sort of based off your idea…" he added. I looked at him, once more with a face of confusion.

"My idea?" I asked, for confirmation. Sting nodded and his gaze swept downward.

"The plushies… we could always hear the message, but I thought 'what if we could actually talk'… so I paid a jeweler to embed those lacrima into those… I was going to do rings first, but then I thought it would be weird and…" I kissed him, he was going to start rambling anyways. When we broke apart we were both smiling stupidly, the dark, defeated thoughts of earlier gone once more as each other had somehow managed to cheer the other up.

"You just had to show off and beat me, didn't you?" I said jovially. Sting chuckled.

"I guess so…" he replied, before scooting closer to me and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "So… what do you think we should do now?" he asked, a fake nonchalant tone in his voice. I laughed a little.

"You want me to _show you_ how much I love these gifts?" I asked, raising my eyebrows as a mock challenge. He nodded.

"I want to see how comfy that bed is" he stated cockily, before pressing our lips together once more. We both became quickly passionate, as I allowed Sting entrance to my mouth.

 _This might be our last chance together_ … I reminded myself, before pushing that thought aside once more as a more pressing idea came to mind.

 **End of Chapter 28**


	29. Chapter 29 - Last Night

**Chapter 29 – Last Night**

 **Sting POV**

After showing Natsu the gift we kissed. Natsu gripped my body tightly close as he opened his mouth to allow me entrance. I quickly accepted, enjoying the feeling of once more intruding into his awaiting cavern. He had carefully replaced the bands back into their box before focusing his attention solely on me. I could tell we were both thinking the same thing, it hung in the air as we increased in passion. _This might be our last chance together_.

I avoided the thought, not wanting to let something so dark take ahold after such a perfect moment. After a few moments of heated kissing we broke apart. "Let's go to that bed then" Natsu said with a smile. I stood up and he took my hand, interlocking our fingers. I looked down to our adjoining hands with a little smile of my own, warm and content, however, this became a lot darker and slyer as Natsu pulled me over to the bed. He collapsed onto it, dragging me almost on top of him, laughing a little and his eyes lit up mischievously. "Told you it was comfy and soft" he said. I had to admit he was right.

"Yeah, but not as warm and… hot as you" I said from my position above him. He laughed before moving his hand behind my head and pulling me close. We kissed again, this time Natsu taking the initiative despite his position beneath me, pressing his tongue against my lower lip to beg for entrance. I did so and as he took charge we slid further up the bed. I straddled him as we kissed ourselves into an oxygen-deprived stupor. "Well… looks like someone… wants it bad, doesn't he" Natsu panted upon pulling away for the second time.

"Like you're one to talk" I replied cockily. I held off on kissing for a moment, instead opting to run my hands over his covered muscles and feel the heat radiating off of him. "Your always so warm… it's reassuring" I said without thinking. Natsu giggled at the unintentional compliment.

"I _am_ the Fire Dragon Slayer, the Salamander" he proclaimed proudly. I unbuttoned his closed waistcoat and ran my hands over his bare chest.

"You'll always be _my little dragon_ though" I responded. He giggled again.

"I still love it when you call me that" he said, "Although I never got to pick a nickname for you" he added. I rolled my eyes.

"Do you really think _now_ is the time to be talking about that" I said, giving him a little raise of my eyebrows. He laughed once more and shook his head.

"No… now's the time for more… _fun_ things" he said with a lewd smile.

"Good" I answered before tweaking his exposed nipple. It still had the mark I left him and as Natsu yelped slightly I chuckled darkly. "Like that?" I asked, Natsu did not respond. He pulled me in for another kiss.

This one was heated and we both knew what the other wanted. Each other. Natsu quickly began pulling at his waistcoat, slipping it off to expose his full, shirtless body. I smiled into the kiss as I replied in kind, removing my, less revealing than normal, vest. Natsu's hand remained behind my head as his other ran along my front. He was smiling into the kiss too and as we pulled apart again he couldn't help but look me up and down.

"Still looking good… with all my marks still visible" he commented. I ran my hand through his hair.

"Like you were expecting something else?" I asked with a cocky tone. He laughed but shifted underneath me so that I had to kneel in front of him, around his legs.

"No. I always know what I expect… I expect you, and nothing else" he blushed a little. I smiled warmly at him.

"That's adorable" I remarked, which made Natsu scowl.

"I'm _not_ adorable" he said with a pout. I chuckled.

"Fine, you're not adorable, but you _are_ sexy, my little dragon" I replied, making Natsu lose the pout quickly.

"Can we…" he didn't finish as I began undoing his belt and getting to a point even closer to his face than I was before, but refraining from kissing his yet.

"Get on with it?" I asked. He nodded and we kissed a final time. He undid my belt and we stripped off of all other clothes. Natsu went to remove his scarf last, however I stayed his hand. "Can you keep that one on? I kind of… like it to stay on you" I said, blushing now as Natsu had before. He shrugged.

"Whatever you want Sting" he said, " _If_ you make me a promise" I looked at him skeptically and cocked my head to the side, mildly intrigued. "You put that Cat-head on one time, _please_ ". I chuckled, remembering Natsu's little _interest_ with me in that costume. I shrugged as he had done.

"Whatever you want Natsu" I parroted. He nodded happily before he pulled out something from the bedside drawer and sat it on the bedside table. I observed it carefully; lube. "You _were_ prepared for this, weren't you" I stated, with a little more surprise in my tone than I had intended. He nodded slightly, with a sheepish grin. "But I want to do something _else_ first, before _that_ " I said in a lustful whisper. Natsu shivered under my touch as I glided my hand over his abs.

"A-alright t-then…" he stuttered out. A look of amusement passed over my face, which seemed to send another shiver through him. "S-Sting…" he moaned out as I took his hardened member into my hand. I jerked it deliberately and slowly, making Natsu moan again.

"I think I wanna… _taste_ you again… Natsu" I said, before trailing kisses down his chest and body. I reached Natsu's cock and grinned wide, looking up to find him staring intently down at me. Reveling in having such an enraptured audience I ran my tounge along his length, from base to tip, never breaking eye contact for a second. Natsu threw his head back and moaned louder than before. I repeated this a few times, his moans pushing me on. After a few more moments I felt Natsu thread his hands through my hair and take a deeper breath. "Sting, can you just… do it… please…" he said in his most whining tone. I couldn't say no to such a perfect tone so I nodded. He looked down at me once more as I positioned myself and began swallowing his cock whole.

A stream of moans followed his next few breaths as I began to settle quickly into a steady rhythm on his cock. He threaded his other hand through my hair, holding tightly onto the blond strands. I did not care, as this just meant that I was doing something _right_ for him. Sooner than I had expected I felt Natsu seize up a bit. "St-Sting… I'm close…" he warned. I stopped after his warning and he gave me a disappointed look with a slight whine. I shook my head in answer to his unspoken question.

"Not yet, I want to do some other stuff first and I can't have you going blow your lid at the first" I said with a grin at what was to come. Natsu relax a little, but still looked disappointed. I reassured him by climbing back up his body. "Seriously, you'll like it by the end" I said. He smirked and kissed my cheek.

"Go on then" he taunted. I chuckled, _Of course he sees this as a challenge, when doesn't he see things as some task to overcome_.

I adhered to his request and began to move onto 'stage 2', firstly by taking the lube from the bedside table. Natsu watched me carefully, I could feel those flaming eyes reignite with excitement and I knew what he was thinking. I sent a smile at him. _Not that… yet_ I thought.

Flipping the lid off of the thing I gave it to Natsu, who immediately looked confused. "What…" he began. I gave him a look which urged him to do what I asked. He took the lube.

"Put it on your fingers idiot" I stated. Still with a look of confusion he did so and I replace the lube back on the bedside table. Then I grinned wide at Natsu. "You know what to do with that stuff, right?" I said cockily. After a few moments Natsu got the gist of what I was implying.

"You sure?" he asked for confirmation. I nodded brightly at him, before pulling him in to once more engage in a kiss. As we kissed Natsu slid his unlubricated hand down my spine whilst the other positioned itself at my entrance. While not the most comfortable, or effective positon, it would work. We broke for Natsu to see if I was ready. Before he could even ask I nodded. He smirked as he pushed his first finger inside. I allowed myself to give out a few quiet moans, more to encourage Natsu to continue. Natsu smiled nonstop before moving his head next to my ear. "I want to _hear_ you" he whispered, "Sting…".

The lustful tone sent a shiver down my body which I knew Natsu would notice. I couldn't let him get too confident though. "Ya gotta try harder than that… _my little dragon_ " I said, taunting Natsu. Natsu grinned wide.

"You sure you _want_ me too" he replied with a tone of absolute confidence. I nodded and he chuckled darkly as he ghosted his lips over my jaw and neck. "I will then" he said, before trailing kisses across my neck. _That's not going to be enough Natsu_ I thought confidently before I felt Natsu going lower. I realised what his plan was and threaded my hand in his hair whilst the other held onto his shoulder. Natsu knew that I had figured it out so he didn't bother with any other cocky comments or lewd grins.

He flicked the bud of my left nipple with his tounge before proceeding to encircle the area with his lips. Natsu kissed and flicked continuously for a few brief moments before I let out a more unexpected and louder moan. I glanced down to see him smiling at his work. I tightened my grip in his hair, he knew what I was thinking. _Still gotta try harder_.

He repeated these actions a few times, intermixed with the movement of his fingers in my ass. Eventually he looked up at me and grinned. I nodded for him to continue and he pushed a second finger inside. "Ah ah…" I moaned out as Natsu began to attack my other nipple. I threaded my other hand through his perfect pink hair and allowed myself to relax to a state of pleasure. After a little while more Natsu stopped. I looked down at him and I could see the question in his eyes. _What now?_

I figured it was time to move on to 'stage 3' of my little plan. I held Natsu's arm and motioned for him to remove the fingers. He did so and I felt the loss immediately, however I was sated by the knowledge of what was to come next. Natsu slithered back up so he was face to face with me. "So what now?" Natsu whispered, I could tell he didn't like not knowing, however I wanted to keep him in suspense.

"You'll see… soon" I said cryptically, making him pull a slightly sour face. I kissed his cheek as I reached over to the bedside table once more. His eyes followed my movement as I expertly flicked the lid off and covered my hand in a generous helping of the liquid. I grinned as Natsu's eyes lit up again, obviously expecting me to give him the same treatment he had given me. He was wrong. I smirked as his eyes continued to observe me, a predatory gaze of a hungry dragon. I moved my hand down his body, still with the lubricant covering it, then I stopped at Natsu's cock.

Natsu almost yelped as I took a firm grip of his length, rubbing it slowly. "St-ing… its cold" he said in panted breaths. I laughed.

"Yep" I replied. I moved my free hand once more over to the bedside table whilst still keeping a hold of Natsu. I took the lube and put another helping of it onto his member. "Figured it out yet?" I asked cockily. Natsu shook his head, not speaking to hold back the rude noises he so clearly wanted to let out. I continued smirking as I got up and lined myself up with Natsu's cock, letting go and making him whine once more. Once he recognized what I was about to do his face practically went feral with amusement.

"We're doing _that_ tonight?" he asked with a hopeful voice. I nodded.

"Clever dragon" I said sarcastically. "I wanna ride you… all the way" I added. Natsu moaned out just at the mention of the activity. I laughed one last time before I lined Natsu's member up with my hole and drove down. I was immediately met with Natsu's warm, hardened flesh. "Fuck… so good…" I moaned out. Natsu gripped the sheets beside him tightly.

"Sting…" he moaned, equally as loud as me. The scene before me was absolutely perfect, even better than the one I had in my head when I planned this whole thing. Natsu was breathing in a ragged pattern, eyes slightly hazy with want, his hair splayed behind his head, those perfect pink strands making a sort of halo against the pillow. _Halo?_ I laughed unexpectedly at the thought, _I guess he's my little dragon AND my angel_.

I began to move, going up Natsu's cock only to slam back down on the whole length. With each motion I wrenched another moan, or another beautiful comment from Natsu's lips. Soon I was moaning in time with rhythm just as Natsu was, our moans together forming an exquisite chorus for only us to hear. "Sting… fuck… so tight…" Natsu moaned out.

I slammed down a little rougher and hit my own sweet spot. "FUCK…" I shouted out. Natsu jerked his attention towards me as I broke the rhythm I had maintained before. I kept on aiming for that direction, every few clumsy pounds hitting that spot and making me inch closer to coming myself. It felt so good, yet I couldn't allow myself to come yet, not if I wanted to continue on to the final fourth stage of my plan. Natsu didn't have that concern though and as I kept on moving I could hear the desperate lust and want in his voice.

"Sting… I'm close again" he said. It amused me to hear the tiny note of concern in his voice. _Obviously worried in case I stop again_ I thought. I stroked one hand along his muscular abdomen.

"It's okay, I'm not going to stop" I said. Natsu relaxed intensely at this comment, his head melting into the pillows. After a few more moaning moments of pleasure Natsu came.

"Fuck, Sting… I'm… coming" he warned a moment before I felt his cock stiffen to its fullest and Natsu's hot seed fill me. "Stinnnng… ngn…" he rode out his orgasm. I minimized my movement after that. Just trying to keep my self-control and not come at the perfect sight before me, as well as the feeling inside my ass.

After Natsu was done I pulled off. He gave me a slightly sleepy look as he grabbed at my head to pull me close and lock me into a kiss. "That was… amazing" he said. I laughed.

"One more thing" I said. He looked confused. "It's okay if you don't want to" I added. He shook his, just as I thought he would.

"You wanna fuck me too, right?" he said. I smiled.

"Not as much of an idiot as you pretend sometimes" I said, taking the lube once more and covering my fingers quickly. "I'll not make this drawn out, I promise… I don't think I could hold out anyways" I said as I slid the first finger inside. Natsu purred at the feeling.

"I know you can't" he said, the note of sleepiness receding from his voice. I smiled at him as I moved the finger around.

"Shut up" I responded, before adding another finger quickly. Natsu made another purring noise and I couldn't help myself. I brought his face up to mine, fingers firmly held into his hair, and I kissed him, not as passionate as I had before, but sweetly. It was a mixed feeling, this sweet kiss, and the heated damned for attention from my own hardened member. After a few moments Natsu pulled away.

"You can… stick it in, you know, I know you won't hurt me" he said. I kissed his cheek before pulling my fingers out. Before Natsu could get used to the lost I replaced them with something bigger. Natsu moaned out as I slowly entered him with my full length. I went to stop but he shook his head. "Just move, I'm okay" he said. I didn't want to cause him any undue pain, however my own dragon enhance instincts were pushing me to obey the demands from my cock. In order to appease the two, I began to move, but at a slow pace. Once I was sure Natsu was okay I sped up. "Fuck… tight and… hot…" I moaned out. Natsu looked at me with a loving gaze.

I pounded into him quickly and soon I reached my limit. "Fuck… Natsu…" I moaned out, unable to even give a warning before I climaxed. "NATSU…" I moaned loudly as my seed filled Natsu's inside. I rode it all the way and once it was done I pulled out, seeing Natsu once more revert to his sleepy gaze. I lay beside him, kissing his cheek as I rolled over to face him. He smiled.

"That was good" he said.

"I thought it was 'amazing'" I responded. He pouted.

"It was… before" he said. I laughed and pulled at the covers that had been thrown about by the motion of our activity. I covered us both up before pulling Natsu in towards me, him resting his head on my chest. He smiled contently, as I myself was smiling. I wrapped an arm around him protectively.

"Sleepy?" I asked him, although I didn't really need to. He flicked his eyes up to me.

"Yeah… that was amazing though… I'm… glad you kept me waiting, it made it better somehow" he stated. I rested my head on his.

"I know it did, that's why I did it, my little dragon" I replied. He faced me and looked at me expectantly. I kissed his lips fleetingly.

"I love you Sting, thank you for… showing me all this stuff, and for putting up with me" Natsu said. I felt the flutters of love in my chest at his words.

"I love you too Natsu, and I don't 'put up' with you. I wouldn't love anyone else but you, and so I love all of those things about you, even the neediness you have sometimes, even the overprotectiveness you show, even your hard headed stubbornness. There isn't a single thing I would change about us" I said. Natsu's eyes flared with emotion, the inner fires I could see showed his love and his care.

"Sting…" he said quietly. I kissed him once more before laying back into the pillow.

"I know, now go to sleep" I said. It may have only been the middle of the day, however I don't ever think I've been this tired. _And we've still got so much more to do_ I thought with a sigh. Natsu had already gone to sleep, his even breathing and heavy head both felt on my bare chest.

Seeing him sleeping quelled all my unwelcome thoughts. "Whatever happens at least I face it with him…" I said aloud before giving in to sleep myself.

/

 **Natsu POV, Later that day**

I awoke around 6PM to the sound of Sting murmuring contentedly in his sleep. I was still resting on his chest, the steady rise and fall relaxing me slightly. _Sting gave me those bracelets_ I thought as images of earlier flashed through my mind, _I've gotta see Lucy's reaction when I show her them_. Thoughts of Fairy Tail made me feel suddenly very homesick. This worsened when a particular thought entered my head.

 _I might have to go face Phantasm… and never see those guys again_. It was a sobering thought, one which I thought would eat me up inside, however seeing Sting's sleeping face, feeling his skin, it's rise and fall, and hearing his heart beat set me at ease. Slightly.

 _Sting'll protect me and I'll protect him_ I thought a little more upbeat. I shifted carefully to rest my head more on the pillow than on Sting so I could observe him easier, hoping his image would remove any lingering doubts I would have. "Natsu…" he whispered sleepily as his hand moved over to where my head had just been. _That's cute, he's looking for me in his sleep_ I observed. After a little while I heard Sting's breathing become a bit more erratic. With a smile I greeted him.

"Good morning… err… afternoon, Sting" I stammered slightly. He smirked and leaned over to kiss me, opening his perfect blue eyes.

"Good afternoon Natsu" he replied. We stayed embraced for a fleeting moment before Sting rolled back over, pulling at me to get closer to him. I did so happily, trailing my hand over his abs, rubbing them slightly. Sting looked over at me before shooting me a wide grin.

"Want to go again?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head.

"No… well… I wouldn't _not_ want to, more I think I might need to keep the ability to walk" I said. Sting laughed.

"I suppose that would be a disadvantage in a fight" he mused briefly. At the mention of the fight we both settled into a sullen silence, the reality of the moment looming over us. Before it could take ahold Sting sat up, urging me to do the same.

I felt a slight shot of dull ache from the base of my spine as I did so, however I ignored it, this was something I was pretty used to by now. "What should we do now then?" I asked him, my hand snaking up from his abs to his chest, and then on to cup his jaw. He seemed to give it a little thought, then an even wider grin enamored his face. I trailed a few kisses along his jawline, urging him to make a decision. He ran his hand over the back of my head.

"Are you _sure_ we can't have another round?" he asked slightly pleadingly. I shook my head, grinning as I continued to trail kisses.

"Yes. We aren't doing it again, so how about you think of something else already" I said "I won't stop till you do". He chuckled a little.

"I might not tell you just so you don't stop" he stated. I nipped a little at his skin with my teeth in response. "B-but… if you're sure, we could… I don't know, maybe go on a little date" he said. I stopped and looked at him skeptically.

"Like a restaurant?" I asked, he nodded. "Right now?" again he nodded.

"Why not? I don't know about you but I'm starving" he said, "Then we can go to the guild and see everyone. You can wear your band if you want, I'll be wearing mine, then we can chat in secret if we're kept apart, and if anyone asks just say it was something I whipped up in case we might need it when fighting Phantasm" Sting added. I kissed his lips this time, hands feeling those blond locks in between my fingers.

"Sounds great" I exclaimed once we broke apart "But first we need to _shower_ " I added. Sting smirked.

"I don't know, it seemed pretty small when I went in there before to test the bands" he said sarcastically. I grinned wide.

"I know" I mused, causing Sting to laugh.

"Are you absolutely sure we aren't going to do anything else?" he asked in an amused tone, stroking a hand over my abs. I smiled coyly but did not answer.

I never said it had to be a quick shower, or one to clean up.

/

 **Makarov POV**

Sting and Natsu had left in quite a solemn mood. I watched them leave, noticing the odd looks people gave them, however I decided Yukino might be better than me at preventing any rumors spreading. Mirajane had done the same in Fairy Tail. After the two left I went to Sting's office. It was a little more cluttered than my own, but he seemed to have a lot more papers than me at the moment, with all these extra notes on Phantasm. I sighed, it had been to give them some free time alone to figure things out before they had to fight that I chose to take on the research mission, however I now realised that this wasn't at all going to be easy. I picked up the first pile of notes and plonked them down on the desk. Sighing again I took the first paper, _Best just to get started and see_ I thought motivationally.

After several hours I yawned. I had been reading through each set of notes carefully, however there was very little useful information it would seem. "Nothing there Third Master?" Mavis said suddenly. I jerked into a more awake state and faced the First Master's ghost.

"Err… Yes, there doesn't appear to be anything here First Master" I said in reply to her question. She shot me a smile.

"I might have something to help you then" I quickly became _very_ awake. She giggled before becoming deathly serious. "I knew that'd wake you up. This Phantasm character is not all he appears, when I was exploring in search of more information I noticed a few spirits who had met him previously" she said.

I looked at her oddly. "A few spirits?" I asked, "Also First Master, there has been a few changes to the situation…" She held up her hand and nodded.

"I am aware, I could see, however he seemed to be blocking me again." Mavis said "Anyways, the spirits I met each describe a person exactly like Phantasm, using the exact same magic as he did, however… they were each from different centuries" Mavis paused.

"Different time periods?" I reiterated. She nodded.

"400, 600 and 900 years ago" she added, "It would seem he is _a lot_ older than he appears".

"Really…" I was somewhat surprised. His magic and mannerisms did suggest he was somewhat old, but not this old.

"This would mean he has had a lot of experience in combat, so I would warn those two when they return. They also should know that I still can't figure out why he is targeting them, there doesn't appear to be any historical reason for it at least" Mavis finished. I bowed politely.

"Thank you for your assistance First Master… I have to go and talk to the others" I said. She nodded in understanding.

"Yes. I'm also looking into ways to remove or suppress that curse, just as a reassurance for Rogue" she added before fading away.

I shook my head. _This changes things. If he is an experienced fighter and as skilled a wizard as he appears then we must take necessary precautions_ I thought as I left the office.

/

 **Later that day**

I was sitting near the Sabertooth bar, Yukino beside me. We had spent a long while discussing what to tell Sting and Natsu when they arrive. Rogue was awake again, but remained in the room alongside the Exceeds, who were keeping an eye on him. It was about 8PM now and I was well into my fourth drink, after the day I'd had this wasn't going to be the last.

"They should arrive sometime later" Yukino observed. She had stuck with me for most of the day after I told her what Mavis told me. "If he really is as skilled as we think they will have to be warned to have some proper preparation time". I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…" I said, taking another swig of alcohol.

Suddenly Yukino's head struck up, her attention fixed at the door. I laughed and followed her gaze, sure enough Natsu and Sting were barreling in, laughing and giggling like children. It was a stark contrast to the mood that they left in, it brought a slight smile to my face. _No matter the situation those two seem to always be able to cheer each other up_ I observed amusedly. The celestial wizard shook her head before whispering lowly to me. "Those two wanted to be inconspicuous" she muttered. I laughed a little louder.

"Yeah… but it's nice to see them happy, given what they're going through" I said. Yukino looked at me with a slightly surprised look. I hiccupped and she chuckled.

"I think you might have had a bit too much to drink" she commented. I smiled up at her.

"This ain't nothing yet" I grinned. She sighed before we both returned our attention to the Dragon Slayers.

They were still laughing as they maneuvered up to us. "Hey guys" they said in an unharmonious chorus of laughter.

"Hello you two" I said cheerily. They grinned like a pair of idiots.

"We've just got back so what's new?" Sting said, trying to smother Natsu's idiocy. Yukino looked a little more serious.

"We've found some stuff out about Phantasm, should we talk in your office?" she said. Sting nodded, slightly more sobered up now after Yukino's tone.

"Yeah, sounds good" he relied, tugging discreetly at Natsu's waistcoat to follow. Natsu did and we all entered the office, me bringing my drink with me.

/

After debriefing the pair on what we learned and our own personal suspicions they left in a quiet gloom. It was a shame to have forced that upon them, however it was needed; they had to know their foe and the danger. Yukino looked worried as they left to go find Rogue.

"Do you think they're going to be okay?" she asked, not for the first time today. I nodded, a little tipsily I noticed.

"Yeah, they're both capable wizards… and good allies… they'll do fine" I said, a little less confidently than I had tried to phrase it. Yukino did not seem so sure, however I thought it best not to press the matter.

After a few moments of quiet reflection, we both decided to leave the office, it had been a site of too many heavy decisions recently to be comfortable staying in. We went into the main section of the guild, and found Natsu and Sting sitting in a corner, speaking quietly to each other. Yukino left to go check on Rogue and the exceeds whilst I decided to make sure the two Dragon Slayers were okay. "Hello Makarov" Sting greeted as I approached.

"Hey Gramps" Natsu said a little less formally.

"Are you two alright?" I asked immediately. They looked at each other, both deciding what their mutual answer would be. Observing the pair, I noticed something I had failed to before. They were each wearing a matching band on their wrists. I smirked slightly at this little show of attachment by the pair.

They noticed my observing them and Sting rubbed the back of his head. "Oh… the bands… they're kind of… my gift" he explained unsure of how to string his words together. I nodded.

Natsu piped up. "They can let us communicate over long distances, it should help us in the fight, like if we want to corner Phantasm" he added. I smiled in light amusement.

"As well as… other times, yes?" I raised my eyebrows and laughed at their reactions.

"Well… yes and no" Sting answered. I shrugged.

"Whatever you want to do, so long as it doesn't cause some scandal for Fairy Tail it's fine by me" I stated. "But what I was actually asking you was… are you okay about what you're going to do?" They both glanced downwards, Natsu rubbed the metal bracelet distractedly.

"We know what we've got to do" Sting answered for them both.

"Okay, just remember, you've got two guilds, and many more friends, who are willing to help you should you need it" I said, gesturing around the, admittedly quiet, guild hall.

Sting nodded with a slight smile. "Yeah, we know Makarov, but thanks for reminding us" he responded. I nodded.

"That's fine, I'll tell you as many times as you need to hear it" I said, before turning to go. "I think I need to lie down now though, so I'll leave you two alone for now" They both said a 'good night' before I left them.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We watched the retreating figure of Makarov right up until he was no longer in sight. I sighed, "You really sure we're alright" I said to Sting. He smiled at me, but the dancing light in his eyes was duller than normal. "Err… I like to think we are, yes. We're both Dragon Slayer, powerful wizards, and capable fighters, I'm sure we can dish out as much punishment as Phantasm can" Sting flexed his muscle in support of this. I mimicked his smile.

"Yeah, sure" I said. He nodded.

"But don't worry about that yet, just focus on enjoying what we have now, and worry about that later, okay?" he said, discreetly holding up my head so I was eye level with him. I nodded.

"Okay"

"And don't forget why I brought you here anyways… we wanted to enjoy my little secret hiding place, didn't we?" he raised his eyebrows. I chuckled.

"We did" I said.

"Well let's do that… then we can focus on getting some rest for tomorrow. Lots of training to get done" Sting said enthusiastically.

I nodded and we both got up to leave. Sting was right, we had to focus on getting the stuff we want done now, so that we could focus on training tomorrow. Before the final showdown.

/

 **Phantasm POV**

I observed the pair throughout their day, watching from the Realm of Spirits. Despite my threats and the time frame they still seemed irritatingly carefree. At least to the eye anyways. When I used my power their souls displayed a different story; they each harbored a darkness… a fear for one another's safety. Good. I didn't want to make this easy for them, although I was most likely to die I had to make sure they suffered as much as possible before hand.

One of my servants appeared before me, their ephemeral form nothing more than a collection of lost, tormented souls that I had whipped into obedience. _Master_ the swarm resounded out, a cacophony of noise _Why torment them, not kill them?_

I sighed, that was all these souls were good for; murder. Of course I had designed them like that, but that was beside the point. It wasn't like I disallowed them from having a brain and the capacity to think about more things than killing. I shook my head.

"Because I must torment the Dragon Slayers. If they are the fated ones, then I want to be sure they are made to suffer" I explained. The souls shrugged, before fading into the miasma of souls whirling around me.

 _Yes, if they are the fated ones then that must mean my time is up_ I thought, before returning my attention to the pair. It looked as though at least one day had passed, although it was hard to tell since time didn't pass in the spirit world. They were training intensely at some hidden place in the woods. It would be so easy to just appear and slaughter them both, so very easy. I refrained from this, _the prophecy must go unchanged, and I must be its carrier, otherwise I would remain trapped in my agony forever_ I reminded myself.

That means just a few more hours of waiting before it finally is proven, one way or the other.

 **End of Chapter 29**


	30. Chapter 30 - Answers

**Chapter 30 – Answers**

 **Sting POV**

I sat with Natsu apprehensive beside me. He fidgeted as he mentally prepared himself for what was to come. I couldn't really blame him, I was feeling the same myself, however I would never let this show. I kept smiling as Sabertooth member after Sabertooth member came up to me and Natsu, wishing us both good luck in the battle to come. I thanked each and every one of them kindly, whilst Natsu just smirked every so often (and every time I shot him a slight scowl).

We had spent the last day training, followed by a bit of fun last night, however now the time had finally come. We were going to leave to fight Phantasm. Yukino and Makarov approached, along with Rogue and Wendy.

"Everything ready Sting?" Yukino asked, glancing over the pair of us from our seats on a central table.

I nodded. "Seems like everyone's said their piece and we're definitely ready to go" I answered. Makarov wore a severe expression, obviously well aware of the danger we would have to face. He tried a smile.

"There doesn't appear to be anything left to say but good luck and come back alive" he said coolly.

I nodded. Natsu was rubbing his wrist again. I had insisted he kept the band inside his bag until we left the town, just to avoid any awkwardness. Every time anyone mentioned the fight I noticed him tense slightly beside me and begin touching or rubbing his wrist. He hadn't even had the band on much, especially in training yesterday, however he had quickly grown attached to it. It was quite sweet.

I wanted to kiss him, just to calm him down, however I maintained my composure; I could do that later, once we leave the sight of prying eyes. I focused my attention on making mental notes to discuss with Natsu about strategy and timing. I wasn't one for strategy myself most of the time, however this was no ordinary fight, and I felt I needed to be prepared, especially since I hadn't fought directly alongside Natsu very much, save the training we had done yesterday. Rogue plonked down into a chair beside me, disrupting my train of thought.

"You sure you two will be alright?" he said. I nodded.

"We will, and we'll keep each other safe, don't worry" I said with false confidence.

Rogue shook his head. "You don't need to give in to this guy's demands, if you failed and returned defeated I would be okay with that, so long as _your_ safe" he said. I cocked my head. _Why does he have to be so damn confident, even in the face of death_ I thought a little bitterly.

I couldn't deny the thought of us failing and retreating had crossed my mind, however I quickly swept it away in disgust at the idea of abandoning my best friend to his fate. If I intended to make Sabertooth a guild of friendship and bonds I had to do this. "You aren't going to accept that, because I won't let you, I will fight this guy with Natsu, and we'll win" I answered, my voice stony with new conviction.

Natsu rested his hand on my shoulder. "Yeah, we'll beat this guy to a pulp" he enforced. I smiled at him, thankful for his support. Wendy suddenly sobbed.

"Please be okay Natsu" she blurted out. Natsu turned to her and held out his hand. She took it.

"I promise to survive this Wendy, you can go tell the whole guild that for me, okay?" he said. _I bet he thinks he sounds so heroic_ I thought amusedly.

Wendy nodded, and dried her eyes with her sleeve. "Okay, I will Natsu" she said. Natsu nodded.

"Good. Now is there anything, or anyone else, or are we… leaving" he faltered at the last word. I looked around, head sweeping across the sea of faces. I shook my head after a few moments.

"Doesn't look like it… but I want to say something first" I stated, before standing up. I cleared my throat. "I would like to take this last opportunity to thank all of you for your kindness. Today I leave with Natsu to face a powerful foe, one which may very well cost me my life," this stunned everyone slightly, I smiled, "However I want you to remember, this isn't some selfish act to protect myself, no… this is to protect my guildmate, my guild, and all those who this Phantasm has terrorized. Sabertooth may have had a dark past, however… I strive to make this a proper guild, with proper bonds, and ties between us all. Should the worst happen I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you who helps me to forge this new guild, and would hope you remember not my demise, but rather the reasons I fought, and hold these reasons close to your heart. For Sabertooth's future" I finished, inhaling deeply. There was a short silence, quickly followed with an explosion of noise as my guild rallied around me. Yukino was crying, Rogue smiling in a way I had never seen him before. The exceeds flew overheard cheering and crying at the same time. Natsu stood up beside me, a bright smile on his face.

"I will protect you, so you may build that better guild" he whispered quietly to me. I patted his shoulder.

"Thank you" I said to him quietly.

Makarov stood by the door, ready to see us off. The moment had arrived. The battle for our lives, and Rogue's, would now begin.

/

 **Natsu POV**

We were quiet as we left the guild. Everyone cheered us on, wishing us one final 'good luck' before we turned the street corner and headed out of town. Once we were a little way away from the town Sting stopped and smiled at me. "I think this should be far enough" he said, before taking my hand. He interlocked our fingers and brushed a thumb against my cheek. I smiled warmly at him.

"This would be nice, wouldn't it, if we weren't about to go and fight this guy" I said with a slight tone of sadness.

Sting nodded. "Yeah. I want to give you something a little later, before we face this guy" Sting said with a wink.

I nodded, but looked down at our joined hands. I smiled a little, before slinging my smaller travel bag off my shoulder. I produced both of our metal bands, one-handedly fixing mine around my wrist. I handed Sting his and he did the same without breaking our interlocked fingers. We both smiled slightly contentedly as we looked at the bands so close together on our conjoined wrists. "You've already given me these, there isn't anything more I need" I said in response to his statement.

Sting shook his head. "We need to get our heads clear for this fight so I wanted to give you one last thing before we went in so we could focus only on the fight" he explained. I rolled my eyes.

"You could just give me it now" I said. He shook his head once more.

"No. I'll wait. For now, I want to talk strategy" he said plainly. I nodded.

"This guy's strong, and he's hard to hit. I think we should play it safe attacking from a distance before finally moving in once we've got enough information" I said. Sting looked surprised.

"You've really thought hard about this" he commented. I shrugged with one arm.

"Not really, it's my go-to strategy for fighting a powerful opponent. I've used it before, remember?" I raised my eyebrows slightly. We had begun walking along the path again as Sting gave this some thought. His face turned into a frown, meaning he had realised what I had meant. He smirked at me, despite this, however.

"That was what you did when you and Gajeel fought me and Rogue in the Games, right?" he said bluntly. I nodded, making him grin oddly. I cocked my head to the side and he chuckled. "Does this mean you thought of us as a powerful opponent?" he asked. I wanted to punch that stupid grin off of his face.

"Maybe… but that was before" his grin receded slightly "Now I just think of you as my cute White Dragon" I said. Sting pouted.

"Hmph… someone's not taking this seriously" he said, "This is a really important fight Natsu, now's not the time for these little comments". I shook my head.

"You said you wanted to talk strategy so I did, it's your fault we ended up on this topic since you fixated on one little word I used. Anyways you're only saying that because you know I'm right and I really do think of you like that; my cute White Dragon. But you're also my powerful White Dragon" I said. Sting dropped his pouting face.

"Alright Natsu… thanks for that though" he mumbled. I smiled, glad that Sting was at least a little cheerful before he had to be serious, it kept my mind at ease. We walked along in another burst of quiet, each of us left to our own thoughts. From Sting's face I could tell he was formulating some kind of plan, whilst I focused on keeping my head clear and my focus solely on Sting. He was all that mattered to me right now. After a little while walking we noted the change in light. It had been past midday when we left the guild, and now the sun was into the latter half of the sky, sending orange hues across the normal azure dome. I watched with vague interest, not noticing when Sting stopped until I was jerked to a halt by his weight behind me. I looked at him quizzically.

"What's up?" I asked, worried momentarily. He smiled at me.

"Nothing. I just thought 'now's a good time to give you that present' that's all" he explained. I returned to his side.

"Alright then" I said. Sting smirked.

"Well then if you want it…" he said. I rolled my eyes, however I was quickly taken aback as Sting pushed me up against a nearby tree. We had been walking in a forest for the past half hour, however we decided to stick to the path in order to prevent any possibility of us getting lost. I felt the wood hard against my back as Sting pressed his body against mine. "This'll be the very last time until we've defeated Phantasm alright…" he said, before pressing his lips to my own. I reacted immediately, holding his head with one hand as the other arm slipped around his waist, pulling him even closer.

"I'm okay with that" I said when we broke apart momentarily. Sting nodded.

"I just wanted one last kiss" he said. I nodded.

"I thought so…" I responded, before pressing our lips together again. The kiss wasn't heated or passionate, just warm, and kind, and gentle. I closed my eyes and allowed Sting to be the only sensation I could experience. Sting had done the same as soon as I had initiated the second kiss, it was so perfect seeing him with his eyes closed and his body pressed to my own. We felt oxygen loss tug at our lungs, urging us to stop and breathe. We did so, and as soon as we did we heard a noise behind us. A clap.

/

With our eyes closed we had failed to notice the third party in this little scene, leaning against the tree on the opposite side of the road. At the clap me and Sting both jerked around and as soon as we saw who it was we both prepared a fighting stance.

Phantasm stood with his shoulder resting against the bark of the tree. He wore the same black bat-like garment he had worn on our last encounter, however he had changed his mask. Now he wore one which only covered his eyes and nose. It was a startling white, contrasting brilliantly the black garment, and had a gold swirl pattern etched across it's right hand side. His grin was evident with this mask, plastered on his face from ear to ear.

"Good evening gentlemen, you appear to be busy with other things than our fight… hmmmm…." he said in a nonchalant tone. I allowed flames to engulf my form. The sun was still out so he should be weakened, however we could not afford to be taken off guard. Sting stepped forward.

"We agreed to fight a little further on if I recall" he said calmly, his clenched fists belying another want; a want for battle. Phantasm nodded.

"I was just observing your progress towards the location and well… I find it insulting that you consider those silly little bands and… _this_ … to be of bigger interest than our fight. I thought we had something special… did I not make the threat big enough? Did you need me to threaten those cats, or maybe that celestial wizard too?" Phantasm said, tone wavering with what I could either have described as actual hurt, or just plain madness. It really was difficult to read this guy.

I sniffed the air. "How do you have no scent?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"Maybe you just can't smell it? Really though, is that the question you want to be asking?" he replied. Sting took a step towards him.

"Fine then, why are you targeting us?" Sting asked. Phantasm stopped leaning against the tree and took three steps forward, placing himself directly in the center of the road.

"Maybe because I want to…" he answered.

Sting shook his head. "No. Answer us properly… we deserve answers after all you've done… please. Just tell us why you target us, and why you insist on causing all these problems for everyone" Sting pleaded, hoping for some straight answers. Phantasm shrugged and laughed.

"I do this because I want to… although I suppose you _could_ know, it wouldn't change the outcome of the fight anyways… I know, how about this; if you beat me to the next signpost along the road then I'll answer your questions" Phantasm proposed. Sting flicked his gaze over to me. I allowed my flames to die out and shrugged.

"It's worth a try" I commented, ignoring Phantasm's pouting face.

"It's like you don't think I'll keep my promise" he commented. Sting growled.

"Fine, agreed. But you better keep it" he said harshly. I could see him gritting his teeth, even just talking to this guy was clearly trying his patience. Not that I could blame him really.

Phantasm bowed. "Well then… in three, two, one… and were off" he faded almost instantly. Sting roared out in frustration.

"Damn him" he began setting off at a pace. It took me a moment but I followed his retreating shape. _If he had been running this fast in that Chariot game, he could have easily beat us_ I thought as we ran. I shook my head to clear it a little, _Now's not the time to be thinking like that, just focus on getting to that signpost_ I reprimanded myself. Sting shot me a look.

"Come on" he called out, a few paces in front. I breathed out heavily and then dashed after him.

"I'm coming" I said annoyed, although the promise of some answers did interest me too.

/

We bolted on, running at high speed along the track. Eventually the signpost came into view, no sign of Phantasm nearby. As we neared it however we noticed him standing atop the post, still grinning. "You took your time" he said playfully.

"You… cheated" Sting puffed out in between breaths. I was close behind, however I almost ran into my boyfriend, Sting only catching me at the last moment.

"Will you still… answer… our… questions" I huffed. Phantasm leapt up, landing perfectly in front of us.

"Well… I suppose I did use my magic, so yeah… I will" he said jovially, before going and resting his back to the signpost, face turned to look up at the sky. Me and Sting both took a moment to catch our breaths. I allowed Sting to do the asking.

"Once again, why are you targeting us?" he asked. Phantasm took a moment in answering, unusually quiet for once. He turned his head, hidden eyes staring deep into Sting. I wrapped an arm around him protectively, and I could feel his slight shudder at the almost unnatural gaze. Eventually Phantasm spoke.

"Well… like I said before, little lizard, I want to do this because it's fun. You Dragon Slayers are just a little more fun than other wizards" Phantasm replied with a grin.

"What gives you the right to mess with people?" I barked out suddenly, quickly forgetting to let Sting do the talking.

Phantasm laughed. "What gives me the right?" he parroted mockingly, "What makes you judge this? Everyone is a fun little plaything to those with more power than them…"

Sting leapt forward slightly, dragging me with him. "Why do you do this though? Chaos? Boredom?" Sting was clearly confused by his answers. Phantasm shrugged.

"A little bit of both…" he said, "I've been at this a long time, watching humans. Do you know what I have learned, no matter how many times humans do the same terrible acts, they never learn; that is why I choose to teach them, however they _still_ refuse to learn, so they _suffer_ instead" Phantasm explained. Sting cocked his head.

"All humans?" Sting asked. Phantasm laughed.

"Yes, all humans are the same. Well, they are the same but not equal; some are born with talents, and some with intelligence, however they all miss the point… so I gave up and instead I choose to force the lesson, even if I kill those who I am teaching…" he actually sounded remorseful for a fleeting moment, before grinning wider, "That just means they didn't learn and so did not deserve to survive" he added. I growled at him.

"Zeref was like that too, bored of humans. We aren't just playthings, we do what we want, and we help and protect each other, just like in a guild" I retorted. Sting looked at me with a slight fondness before returning a hard gaze at Phantasm. Phantasm raised an eyebrow.

"You really believe that? Well it seems we've found another lost cause…" he commented, standing up straight and jumping up to the signpost again. "If you really do believe that let me ask you one question; why are you going to fight me?". I looked at him quizzically, and Sting did the same. He laughed down at us. "Pathetic lizards… if you are able to think of an answer to that, although that doesn't seem possible, then come and find me at the large standalone tree even further down the path" He jabbed a finger in a rough direction. At that he disappeared, fading into the air once more with a laugh.

Once he was gone me and Sting looked at each other. The question and answer obvious to us both, _why are we doing this? For Rogue and for everyone else_ we thought. Without speaking we continued on the path. Sting interlocked our fingers once more as we walked.

"You're thinking the same as me" he said, statement not a question. I nodded.

/

After about ten minutes of walking we spotted the tree, nearing it once again Phantasm appeared, hanging upside-down from a lower branch. "Decided yet?" he chided. We looked up at him, watching the strange being with a slight interest. On our brief walk we had discussed what he had said, and we both came to the same conclusion; he was wrong. Sting smirked up at him.

"We have; you're wrong about humans" he said defiantly. I smiled as Phantasm tutted. He back flipped form his position and landed nearby. Dusting himself off he came to stand four paces away from us.

"So you _are_ a lost cause, shame" he muttered, cocking his head to the side, "But that does not answer my question; why are you fighting me? Because I am wrong? Or for your friend?" he directed this at Sting who looked at me. I smiled.

"Both, your wrong and are causing suffering, however you chose to harm one of our friends, so you'll pay" I said, still smiling, although having to reign in the anger I was feeling. Phantasm shook his head.

"No, you do this because you don't accept the truth; humans never change" he stated. I clenched my fist.

"You've spent so long judging humans…" I barked, before Sting interjected.

"But aren't you a human, or you were at least" he said calmly. Sting had brought up the point on the walk that if we were able to convince Phantasm he might let the curse on Rogue go then we wouldn't need to fight him. Phantasm laughed.

"I _was_ a human, _was…_ however I am so much more now. Take my buddies" he gestured and a hooded being materialized beside him, "They were human, now they are nothing more than souls, but at the same time I have given them new, and better, immortal bodies" he sounded almost prideful. I glared at him.

"You've taken their free will, and stole their lives" I growled. He laughed even harder.

"Of course a lowly human would think that" I almost went to strike him, only remembering that it would be pointless at the last minute. He laughed at my struggle. "Typical, you think with your fists. No wonder your _dragons_ left you, they were beings of a higher power too, they probably saw you and thought the same; stupid humans doing nothing with their lives" Phantasm giggled and grinned.

I looked over to Sting who was shaking with rage. "You act like you know everything, but you are nothing more than mad man who went insane on his own power a long time ago… do you even remember what you were like before _this_ " his restraint was obvious, the mere mention of his dragon, or mine, sending him into a spiral of anger. I returned to his side, slipping my arm around his waist once more. Phantasm cocked his head.

"I do remember, I just don't care" he said mockingly, before looking up to the sky, it had been getting progressively darker. "And it looks like this lovely session's almost up, damned lizards… you know what comes next" he grinned. Sting sighed, his plan to do this without fighting failing miserably.

"It's just up ahead, right?" Phantasm nodded, then bowed.

"I shall meet you there then, White Dragon Slayer Sting, Fire Dragon Slayer Natsu" he said before he disappeared. As soon as he vanished Sting leaned into me.

"He has to die" he said through gritted teeth. I nodded.

"It's what we knew would happen" I stated, Sting nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose. Come on, the castle's just up ahead" I looked at him oddly.

"Castle?" I asked. Sting nodded.

"I didn't think I should tell you because I didn't know how you would feel, but I know exactly what is up ahead" an idea flickered through my mind of what Sting was going to say, however I let him say it himself. "It's the same one the staff was being held in" I stopped dead. This was what I had feared. Just the mention of the place made a white hot fire of anger and hatred rise in my gut. I pushed this down as best I could.

"Let's go then" I said stiffly. Sting nodded, obviously anticipating my feelings. _I'm not going to let that happen again, not in that place again, not ever_ I thought as I walked, eyes flicking to Sting's face, drinking in his perfect features as they were now, rather than how they were in my memory of that day. _I would rather die than let him suffer again_.

/

 **General POV**

Natsu and Sting approached the hillside. From its peak they saw the land beneath them, as well as their destination. "We're here" Sting declared solemnly. Natsu huffed out a breath.

"Yeah." He sated bluntly. They both looked on at the castle with its high spires and slightly crumbled wall, remnants of flame markings licked the side walls were Natsu had fought on his job. They each shared the same thought; this is it. Sting had held Natsu's hand, their fingers interlocking, for most of the walk there, however now they parted. "There's no use hiding" a voice sounded out into the night air, "I can sense your presences, just stroll in please… I don't like being kept waiting" It was Phantasm. His overly high-pitched laugh resounded into the air. Sting looked to Natsu one last time. "Ready?" he asked, eyes glistening with light. Natsu breathed in shakily.

He nodded. "Yeah, let's do this" he said. Sting smirked with false confidence before making his way down the hill alongside Natsu. They reached the base and began wandering up to the old castle, getting closer and closer to the entrance. Once the great doors loomed into view they stopped as a dark shadow enveloped the area in front of them. "What-?" Sting cried out before Phantasm's laugh resounded out again.

"I just want to give my toys a little test run, see if you can beat these" he said. At this two shapes materialized out of the darkness before them. They broiled and rolled until their forms settled. Standing before the pair were the two figures they had fought before, exactly the same as they had been that first morning. "There's no use in us fighting if you can't even beat my little buddies" Phantasm called out. The male and female specters cocked their heads.

" _Kill them Master_?" they asked in creepy unison. As soon as they had said so they shot bolt upright, obviously a command from Phantasm to get on with it. Natsu and Sting wasted no time, they knew the capabilities of these two. Sting allowed white light to emanate from his fists as the actually collided with male one of the pair. He called out triumphantly. "I actually struck him". Natsu was smirking too as he had also landed a successful blow with his flame engulfed fist.

"Me too" he sounded. The pair were not done yet, however. They dusted themselves up from their sprawled positions, coming to stand side by side once more. Again Natsu and Sting wasted no time. They each looked at each other for the barest of moments before they synchronized their attack.

"White Dragon Roar"

"Fire Dragon Roar" they called out in unison.

They two attacks swirled towards their opponents. Each making a connection and pushing the two back. After a few moments the Dragon Slayers stopped, they couldn't afford to waste any more energy, not that they need two as the two specters each fell down to the ground. Phantasm's voice resounded out. "Very good little lizards, you fought them a lot more efficiently than you did last time… however…" he was cut off by laughter as the spirits got up again. They each floated only an inch off the ground.

"We must kill" they said in unison, sickly blue-black energy forming around them. It swirled and condensed until it formed a sphere around their bodies. Quickly the sphere condensed into two smaller ones which each of them held in their hands. The stench it gave off belied a powerful amount of death magic. Natsu and Sting needed no other incentive to fight, charging forward towards their opponents they each conjured up all the strength they could. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame" Natsu called out.

"Holy Ray" Sting shouted. The barrage of flame and light mixed beautifully, proving their day of training was put to good use, as the ball of intense heat mixed with the streaks of white light, propelling a sphere of a combination of the two towards the specters before they could finish their spell, causing an explosion which shook the ground around them. Natsu grinned at Sting.

"Hey, it worked" he commented, watching as the specters faded away. Sting grinned back.

"Yeah, but we used up _way_ too much magic energy" he added. Natsu shrugged.

"We had too, but we're dragon slayers so we can always regenerate it" he said.

"Indeed you are, and what a fine pair you make. The lizard proves itself to be worthy of the name dragon" Phantasm appeared standing at the entrance to the castle. He clapped his hands sarcastically. "Now your real foe stands before you".

"Sting" Natsu said as the White Dragon Slayer leapt in front of the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Sorry Natsu" he murmured, not taking his eyes off of Phantasm. Phantasm hummed amusedly.

"Aww… how cute" he commented, sarcasm obvious in his tone "The bond of Mates, it's one I've broken on a few _fun_ occasions" he giggled. "But before that I would request to show you something…" We both stared fiercely at him.

"What?" I asked bluntly. He shrugged.

"Before you asked if I remember being human," he stated, "Do you want to know the truth?".

Sting twitched in anticipation for a fight. "Thought you said you didn't care" he chided. Natsu just growled at the man's invitation.

"I don't… but perhaps you may understand something, before you fight me; are you dragons capable of being civil despite our opposition?" he asked this with genuine sincerity. Natsu cocked his head.

"Why should we, all you have done is caused us trouble" he declared. Phantasm shrugged.

"If you enter the castle, I will show you why" he said, before fading away. Sting looked to Natsu.

"We gotta go in Natsu, just listen to what this guy has to say, then we beat him, just like what we did before, okay?" he asked for Natsu's acceptance before making his move. Natsu nodded.

"Okay" the pink head said, before taking Sting's hand and rushing towards the castle entrance. His eyes flicked left and right looking for an ambush. But none came. Until they entered and the doors slammed shut behind them.

"So you accept my invitation" Phantasm said as everything went dark, "Then I will tell you my tale".

 **End of Chapter 30**


	31. Chapter 31 - Tale

**Chapter 31 – Tale**

 **Phantasm POV**

"So you accept my invitation" I said to the Dragon Slayers as they entered the castle. I was standing at the top of the great staircase that led up from the foyer. It was dark in here as the doors slammed shut. A sense of foreboding grew in the air which made me smile. Natsu glared up at me, anger, hatred and impatient in his eyes. _Typical of those bestial mages_ I thought.

"What did you want to tell us?" Sting asked, those glittering eyes so obviously full of emotion. I could tell even at this distance each and every one of them, I had a lot of practice at doing so in my time after all. There was anger, naturally, hatred, obviously, but also love and a will to protect his mate. _These two might really be the ones, shame their answers show they don't understand… but maybe with my story…_

"I wanted to tell you my tale" I stated. They each growled out.

"We don't want to hear any more" Natsu said harshly "Either fight us, or save Rogue". I shook my head.

"You forget who you are talking to lizard, you may have proven yourselves against my servants, but not yet against me. I wish to tell you this because you are the first people to ask about me in over four centuries" this seemed to quell them a little.

"Alright then" Sting said, scooting ever so closer to his Mate. I nodded.

"It is a bit of a long tale, but here it goes;" I used my magic to send images shooting around the castle. "Follow the pictures as they explain if you would" I added.

The first image depicted a single cottage house in a quiet field, close, but not so close, to a town. "This is where I lived as a child, more than 900 years ago" I explained, "You see, I was the last in a long line of very special wizards. My family was gifted with the art of seeing and communing effectively with the souls of the dead. Our name was known throughout the world, famous to all, yet dead and forgotten now. We had people arrive almost daily just to ask us to commune with the spirits of their departed loved ones and friends. For our actions they paid us, despite the fact we asked for no money or riches, and we often gave most of this away; we were content with the 'wealth of our family bonds'. Such a sad existence really" I paused for a moment as the images changed, shifting from the cottage scene to the town.

"One day a dark wizard came to our town, he sought us out to commune with someone he had once known in life. Like usual we agreed, however this was just a ploy as we later would find" the images shifted to match, a shadowy figure looming into view. "He repeatedly came to us seeking this soul or another, always asking us to relay questions, and their answers. We did so, believing him simply to be a man of misfortune, asking us to commune with all those he had lost and had things still left unsaid to them. This was all a lie." The images shifted again, as the picture rested once more on the town, this time, however, it was aflame and in ruin.

"After nearly a month of his constant visiting we went down to the town as we always had, only to find it empty and lifeless, not a soul or person to be found. Only then did we learn the truth…" I paused to allow this to sink in once more, Natsu and Sting seemed genuinely fixated on what I was saying.

"So, he committed something terrible?" Sting asked. I nodded.

"Yes indeed, let us continue…" I gestured back to the images, only to find they had shifted once again.

The pictures displayed now showed me and my family cowering before the same shadowy figure. "The wizard we had thought we knew so well was a lie. He was a dark mage, darker than the finest pitch of black. Upon arriving at our cottage that first day, and every day since then, he had gone to the town simply to murder a handful of citizens. Each of them forced by his magic to answer his questions, either in life… or through us in death. He really had no care for those villagers, those people I had known growing up. You see, I was the youngest member of my family, and was only 7 years of age when this occurred."

The pictures shifted once more, to an image of us cowering in our home. "That man, chased us out of the town. He specialized in magic to manipulate souls, similar again to Seith and my magic, but once more different. His was an unperfected version of my Spectral magic. He wanted to perfect his art without the need for the three great sacrifices that would normally be paid, as I have, but in order to do that he believed he needed my family's unique abilities. Thusly he had murdered all those people to test the limits of our power, using friends of old, as well as those he had tortured, all the while studying us for our test. What he learned shook him, he could not, or ever, use our magic. Enraged he set about slaughtering us all. Except me and my older brother. For us he captured and brought with him back to his foul lair. The last images and memories I have of my family, my friends, and my home are of them all being slaughtered right before my powerless form, then that damned dark mage torching the whole area to the ground with fire magic. Not a trace is left, not then, not today, of the place I once called home" I paused once more. The images shifted to match my pace.

"The life of a slave and lab rat awaited me beyond that." The images changed to a view of me in a cage with scratches and blood all over my naked body. "That dark wizard did so much to me and my brother. He tortured us, maimed us, and even… raped us. All for that insatiable appetite for power that he could never wield. He even wanted to breed us for it. He was sick and twisted… and over time we became that too. So much so that my brother… I could hardly recognize him anymore. He was only 2 years older than me, however he had spent more time around the mage than me and soon… it started to show. He wanted to learn dark magic, even began to enjoy the torture, however this was not enough for the dark wizard; he only wanted my brother's powers. So he persuaded my brother to undergo an experiment, one in which his blood would be infused with the dark wizard. What he neglected to tell him was that it would also fuse their souls. The last thing I saw of my brother was him screaming in agony as blood poured forth from his increasingly limp body. Another lasting memory of yet another lost bond." I allowed my pity and sadness to flow forth for the first time in decades at least. Natsu and Sting seemed to be stunned to silence so I continued.

"After that moment I was truly alone. I sat in my cage and watched the dark wizard work. His experiment had been a failure and my brother died for nothing, as is usual for most humans. The wizard was obsessed with perfecting his art, in his lab there was all sorts of magical equipment and tools. I once tried to steal one on my way back to the cage after another torture session." The image shifted to that of the lab, with me wielding one of the tools. A small gun-like object. "I tried to use the stolen equipment to escape, however the wizard caught me, threw me back into the cage and then decided to 'teach me a lesson' and claim my body once more. That man revolted me. After that even I never left the cage again, save one occasion. He offered me a choice after my little escape attempt, stay with him, or be fed to his pets" The image shifted to reveal a dark corridor in which many eyes stared out. "As well as his lab, he also had a dungeon which housed many terrible and horrific creatures. Foul demons, succubus temptresses, and other magical spirits among them. The most powerful of all was the great Demon Lord he kept locked deep underground. He took me to this particular door once, and I could hear the whispers of the foul demon within, tempting me to unlock it. The wizard stated that if I ever misbehaved again he would throw me in there with the demon and watch as it devoured my body and soul. I was terrified." I paused once more. Allowing them some time to think about this so far.

Sting looked up at me and I saw the interest in his eyes, he obviously wanted to know more so I continued. The images shifted once again, revealing me back in my cage, but a few years older. "For many years the wizard worked whilst I was in my cage. He visited often for various reasons and I learned the odd bit of magic here and there from the books he allowed me to read. It didn't really matter to him that I knew them since the cage suppressed magic anyways and it wasn't like I had anywhere to run… until one day. For the first time in years I actually found somewhere to run." I paused as the images shifted to show me standing by the cage bars. "The wizard was asleep one night, many years now since my brother's death. I was pacing in my cage, simply thinking things over as I always did, when suddenly I heard the tapping against the cage. I looked, but could not see anyone." The images shifted to reflect this scene. "I called out, hoping but not expecting some rescue. When I did a voice sounded out from the shadows. It was the demon. It called to me 'You want power? Want to escape' It asked. I answered with a yes and it laughed, that echoing laugh I will never forget. 'I can give you escape, but in return kill the wizard' it said. I questioned its motives, but it wouldn't tell me, so I agreed with fierce vengeance on my mind; I never really needed a reason to kill that man. As soon as the cages swung open I bolted out. It didn't take long before I found the wizard, asleep still. I took his dagger, which he often used to draw blood from me as he fucked me, and then I woke him up. He grinned at me like I'll never forget. 'Know your place boy…' he had said. I smiled back, that was the first smile since the day I left my home, as I replied; 'I do know it, killing you'. It was so satisfying to stab that fool right through his black heart." I grinned at Natsu and Sting as the images shifted to play out all I described. Sting looked at me once more, but I noticed a change in his eyes. _Is that pity?_

"After that man's murder I was free again. The demon called out to me, claiming that he wanted to be free like I was… and I believed it. After a few nights sleeping in that wizards place I eventually ventured around. I had been fed and kept in relatively good condition by him, despite it all, and so it didn't take me long to recover. However, as I explored I discovered something… he was close to finishing his work. In the years I had observed him I had learned a thing or two about his magic, and after finishing reading his notes I became as determined as he had ever been to complete it, except I would be able to use my powers now. After about another year of work I did finish it… almost. You see there was still that one problem; the three sacrifices" I paused a moment to allow the images, and the Dragon Slayers, to catch up. Natsu went to speak, but I anticipated his question.

"What are the sacrifices?" he nodded. "They are what seals us to this fate of our magic. Spectral magic was never used as it was found to have a deadly side effect; it turns you over time into a demon. As I learned this fact the demon held beneath the complex laughed. 'So you know' it had said. In that moment I also learned something else; he was a Spectral magic user, one of the last, if not the very last. I immediately rushed to its confinement, where I begged it to teach me its magic. By now my mind was truly warped and I obsessed, as that wizard, had over learning this magic. If I could just learn it I could make the world better, I believed, what a fool I was, just like all humans. The demon played on my obsession, it taught and trained me, and when the time was right I made the first sacrifice. You see, each sacrifice brings you closer to demonhood; the first is the Sacrifice of the Body, in which I gave up my body for a purely spiritual one. That is why I am immortal, and also why I have no scent. This is not my real body and has not been for a long time. I am a collection of magical energy, pure and simple" I stopped once more. Realisation passed over their faces. I smirked before continuing, noting the time that was passing.

"After that sacrifice everything changed. I became more powerful, unhindered by lack of sleep or food or even water, for I needed none of these menial things. I worked with the demon in mastering my art, eventually passing on to the second sacrifice; the Sacrifice of the Soul. This was a greater leapt than the body. I had to empty my soul of everything, every emotion and every bond I formed, for these things became meaningless to those who transcended to immortality. I gave up upon everything else, only caring about perfecting this art that I was so close to mastering. Due to my family powers I could more easily call upon, and command souls, making it easier for me to reach the points of sacrifice, and sure enough the day came. The day of the Demon Lord." I paused once more. The images shifted to form a picture of a great shadowy beast.

"It was 16 years, 4 months, 21 days and 3 hours since I had been first brought to that wretched place by the dark wizard. I reached the pinnacle of my training and only had the final sacrifice to make; the Sacrifice of Will. For this I needed to commit an action so horrific that I would demand absolute obedience over every soul I summoned; I had to murder a thousand people in the space of one day, or begin it again at the changing of the day. My demon master wished to meet me for the first time, since I had never actually opened the door of his confinement to allow him to see me he wanted to lay eyes on me 'before my last ascendency'. This was another lie, greater than the one the dark wizard told me all those years before. I prepared myself for the meeting of my mentor, opening the door wide… only to be met by a child. He grinned at me. 'Hi' he had said 'pitiful human'. You see, he hadn't taught me magic just out of kindness, as I'm sure you've guessed, no… he had another plan, and was patient in its creation. As soon as I opened that door on that day I was dead. The demon laughed and laughed as it explained everything it had done up to this moment, including why it had attempted to train the weaker wizard before me. It was dying and needed a new vessel to live inside, and the vessel needed to have that magic in order to do it. The last sacrifice could indeed be made through that atrocious crime, however… I made it in a different way. As the demon went to take my body, smiling and saying 'you've been a good puppet, now die' I lashed out, using the souls I could command to push it back. A battle ensued between us, however I had been training in magic besides Spectral magic for years, and I was evenly matched for the immortal creature. But I could not kill it. So I decided the only action I could take. I fused my soul with it, as that wizard had attempted with my brother; however, unlike him, I was somewhat successful. I was able to fuse with the demon, unlocking all the powers of a Spectral mage." I finished briefly, allowing their minds to process the information.

"But why do you cause all this chaos now, if you know what it is like to suffer so brutally?" Sting asked. Natsu cocked his head, eyeing up the image of the demon.

I grinned at them. "You shall see; my tale is not yet over…" I stated.

Sting sighed. "Damned it's a long one" he complained. I shrugged.

"I lived it. Your common history books only go so far, I have lived through all of recorded history and before that" I stated before focusing my magic into images again.

The next image displayed me in the very garment I now wore, striding across the landscape, from tundra, to desert, to fields and back. "After my final test I moved on to freeing or killing each and every one of the creatures the dark wizard had captured. Once they were free I finally decided to leave that wretched place for good. I used my new powers to destroy the complex, so not even ashes remained, then I left to travel the world. I spent a few years travelling, seeing the sights, until the third greatest incident in my life began. I was travelling one day when I saw a town being ripped to shreds by some demonic forces. Since my time with that demon I had grown to despise all demonic creatures and I often destroyed them where ever I found them, however as I entered the place I noticed something different about this 'demon'." I paused for a moment as the images shifted to show a picture of a young face Natsu immediately recognized. Zeref. "By then, I had now been alive for some 500 years, exploring continents, jungles, mountains, and oceans. There wasn't one place of note that I could say I hadn't been; however, it wasn't until this meeting that my opinions of humans began to change. I had ceased to call myself human after merging with the demon, however I had also noted that humans were both cruel and kind regardless of where I went. When I met this man my ideology about humans being the same everywhere changed. He led a force of demonic creatures which caused nothing but meaningless pain and suffering, so I challenged him to combat. He accepted my fight, the first person to notice that I wasn't really human anymore. In his eyes I saw age and hatred the likes of which I have never seen since. Before our fight we talked about our pasts, me explaining my age, and him explaining his history to the only person he thought would sympathise with him; I did not. Unlike me he had given in to his curse and accepted the necessity of taking life. Until then I considered myself an observer, helping people who asked for it, but otherwise only observing and recording history with my immortal mind and body, yet when faced with this being of chaos and destruction I felt a new purpose, to fight chaos and bring abundance and happiness to the people I had spent five centuries observing" I paused once more to allow this to sink in. Sting raised an eyebrow.

"You wanted to help people?" he asked surprised. I nodded.

"Yes, in the past I did. I still do, however people refuse to learn… as I have said before" I flicked my gaze back to the images, they showed the fight between myself and Zeref unfolding.

"We fought for two weeks straight before we realised neither could defeat the other. We parted ways, with me promising to undo whatever chaos he would cause in the future. He had smiled, saying that he had a plan which would stop him causing undue pain to the world. I was confused by what he had said, however I now know exactly what he intends and shall make no move to change this path. After our fight I went to lick my wounds. With my new idea firmly stuck in my head I set about improving people's lives. I went from place to place using my magic to irrigate fields, heal wounds, I even taught orphaned children how to use magic in the hopes they could join a good wizard guild. Each and every time I was thanked, and each and every time I thanked them for giving me the opportunity to help them, however no matter what I did there was something which always infuriated me. No matter where I went there was always war, and strife, and argument, political or otherwise. I began to grow bitter, no matter how many I helped they always died to the incessant wars and problems of the world, so I made another goal for myself; teach humans the folly of their ways and prove that their wars were unneeded." I stopped once more to let this sink in. Neither Sting nor Natsu spoke so I continued, noticing the ticking time heading towards our final confrontation. "This was my final act of good faith. I spent the subsequent century after that trying and failing again and again… always wars broke out, no matter how hard I tried… so I gave up on humanity. For some 300 years now I have finally decided enough… human kind will die, by my hand or its own…" The images ceased.

"And so now you know my story, my tale… I have lived a horrific life… and it's always because of the horrors of humans. That dark wizard, that demon, Zeref… all those wars. Each and every time human kind has made a mistake and never learned its lesson. It has only been in the last 100 years or so that I finally understand what Zeref saw in humanity. It is a waste that seeks nothing but destruction and power" I concluded my speech. Looking down at the Dragon Slayer pair, who each wore a face of deep though. I decided to wait and see their response, it was nearly midnight, the appointed time of our fight, but not quite time yet. _I want to see their thoughts for myself, the thoughts of the two 'fated' ones…_

Sting was the first to respond, he glared up at me, the same look of pity and hate in his eyes as before, however there was anger there now. "So you just gave up on it all?" he accused angrily. I nodded, grinning at the predictability of his response.

"Yes. Much like Zeref I saw the futility in teaching humanity peacefully; they only learn through the violence and bloodshed they so desperately seek" I stated. Natsu shuffled closer to Sting, reaching out to place his hand on Sting's back for reassurance. His own or Sting's I could not be sure. _It's a sad thing to see such bonds I have to break…_ I thought suddenly. I shook my head; I hadn't had fond thoughts like that in decades. It annoyed me how these two still maintained these bonds despite the situation I put them in. _Guess it's appropriate though…_

"Is that all you had to say to us?" Natsu asked, glaring up at me. I could see his concern for Sting in his eyes. I nodded, but did not speak. He looked at Sting, who turned his head to the pink haired Dragon Slayer. They exchanged a thought without the need for words, this I could tell with ease, as they both turned to face me. "Then there is nothing left to say… we still must fight you" Natsu stated. I nodded again.

"Yes, you must. I will not release your friend unless you kill me" I said. Natsu's gaze hardened.

"Fine. You may have had a bad life, but there is no reason for you to inflict suffering. If you've really 'seen it all' as you seem to claim then you should know it's about the bonds you make and the people you help, not the lesson you should learn that matters most" he said. I shrugged.

"Who said I needed a reason. Seeing all the suffering humans caused themselves was enough of a reason for me" I responded. Natsu growled, unusually loud given the near silence I had experienced as I told them my story,

"You don't deserve to judge us if you no longer want to even be a part of our life" he said, taking a few steps up the stairs. Before I could speak a far off bell could be heard tolling. I turned my vision to the ceiling, laughing grimly.

"Looks like it's time, that's midnight…" I stated. Sting laughed confidently.

"Then we'll fight" he said. I mused this statement.

"Yes" it was the only word I needed to say. As soon as I did I raised my hands above my head and two dozen armor clad spirits appeared on the stairs between me and my opponents. _Let's see them dance before they drop_ …

"You will defeat these then come find me in the only room of note in this whole castle. The one where we first crossed paths, yes?" Sting nodded as Natsu flew into a rage.

"You're not getting away" he declared. I laughed and faded into the air.

"See you soon lover boy" I giggled, before disappearing. It was way past time for them to die.

/

 **Natsu POV**

"See you soon lover boy" Phantasm said, wide grin still on his face, as he faded into the musty air. Despite all he had told us, me and Sting remained unmoved. He had suffered terribly in his life, that much was clear, however he still gave us no real reason to explain why he committed such terrible acts. Or even why he targeted us. I felt my anger overcome me as he taunted us to battle. My flames engulfed my form as I charged up the stairs towards the armored spirits Phantasm had summoned. "He won't get away from me" I growled as I punched and bounded forward. The armor remained unmoved, forming a line to block our assault. "Fire Dragon Roar" I shouted, sending flames out to engulf them all.

" _Stop them Master says"_ the ghosts all said in unison. Sting placed a hand on my shoulder and dragged me back a few steps.

"Natsu wait…" he said. My animalistic glare shifted to him, softening as soon as I saw his perfect features.

"What? He wants us to fight him" I said. Sting nodded.

"I know, but… before we rush in… I just…" he wavered. I cocked my head.

"Did he say something to affect you?" I asked concerned. Sting shook his head. "Do you feel sorry for him?"

"No but…"

"Then what's the problem? Remember; we gotta do this for Rogue… let's take this guy on, and beat him too" I said. Sting nodded.

"Alright, I just wanted to tell you… keep yourself safe, my little dragon" I smiled before rushing our opponents once more.

"Yeah, you too blondie" I replied cockily. He smirked before sending a fist slamming into the armored attacker.

"Ow…" he cried out, "Careful Natsu, these guys are hard" he warned. I nodded.

"I know" I said, before sending a barrage of flame engulfed punches into the nearest one. They were different from the others, these ones could be physically hit with ease… but they could block and strike us too. "Sting, we gotta take these ones out quickly, or they'll wear us down" I called out.

"I'm a little busy right now Natsu" he replied, as he flipped over one of the attackers and kicked it into another. "White Dragon Roar" he called, sending a ray of light slicing through the pair; to no effect. "Damn it…" he cursed. I reached him by punching through a swarm of them, our backs pressed together as they surrounded us on all sides. They giggled maniacally as blue energy formed weapons in their hands, swords, spears, shields, even axes. "Ready Sting?" I asked him as we faced off the oncoming horde. I felt him nod behind me.

"Yeah, let's do this" he said. "One…"

"Two…"

"Three."

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame" I called out.

"Holy Ray" Sting said a moment later. Once more the two attacks merged and an explosion rocked the stairs, sending us crashing down on the uneven floor as the attack ripped through the foundations of the stairs. "Well done Natsu" Sting commented as the armored attackers were either crushed under the rubble or destroyed by the attack. I watched with slight satisfaction. It really amazed me how we worked so well together. _I suppose we are Mates then_ …

"Let's go find him" Sting said, breaking my amazement. I nodded sharply at him, my vision hardening once more. _I want to be the one to kill him_ I thought angrily.

"Right, it was upstairs wasn't…" I stopped. "Damn it" I cursed as I realised we had just destroyed our only way up.

"Looks like we'll have to climb" Sting said.

I nodded. "Alright". _He better be there when I get up… and he better not hurt Sting…_

 **End of Chapter 31**

 **Authors Note; Thanks guys for Sticking with this, I know it might be a chore for some of you but I promise I'll give you the epic boss fight you all are probably expecting. I'm working on it right now. If anyone has any comments or anything they would like to make** **drop me a PM or a review and I'll answer them :)**


	32. Chapter 32 - Newcomer

**Chapter 32 – Newcomer**

 **Sting POV**

After our attack landed, me and Natsu climbed to the top of the rubble, looking over the defeated unit of armored spirits. Natsu grinned stupidly despite the situation. "Let's go find him" I said, trying to pull his attention away from the small victory and to the task at hand. He nodded towards me. "Right, it was just upstairs… Damn it" Natsu cursed. He had obviously just realised the problem we had caused for ourselves.

"Looks like we'll have to climb" I said with a slight sigh. Natsu nodded in agreement.

"Alright" was all he said in response. We clambered over the rubble until we reached a point a few meters away from the next floor of the castle. Natsu smiled at me. "Stand back a minute" he asked me. I cocked my head in question, but proceeded to do so. It didn't really bother me how long this took now that I knew Phantasm would be waiting for us. _Plus, the longer it takes the weaker he'll become…_

Natsu engulfed himself in flames, intense heat surrounding the area and stinging my skin slightly. Then he laughed as he shot up into the air with a large leap, propelling himself upwards on a pillar of flames. I watched with amazement as Natsu deftly landed on the next floor up. He grinned down at me. "Show off" I shouted up at him, although it really was impressive. He continued smiling as I climbed up a little of the wall, reaching out for his hand to help me up over the ledge.

"But it was pretty great right?" he said cockily as I scrambled over the side. I pouted up at him from my position on the floor.

"Shut up, we've got a fight to win" I said, but couldn't help but smile at Natsu's confident tone. He kept his smile on as I got up, however it quickly disappeared as we began running off in the direction of the room where we had first went to get the scepter. _Looks like I'll be going in there again with Natsu… I just hope it doesn't turn out like last time…_

/

We arrived to the doors of the room. Natsu readied himself into a fighting stance. We had decided between us that Phantasm would most likely be waiting, as overconfident as he was, and would want to speak to us again, however we didn't come to talk. The plan was simple, charge in and begin our assault with everything we had. We each set a shoulder on the doors, moving to burst into the room. For the last time Natsu eyed me suspiciously.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah" I responded with confidence I wish I had.

At that we both shoulder barged our way into the room. "Fire Drago…" Natsu shouted. "Wait?" he stopped. I had light readied around my fists, prepared to follow up Natsu's attack with a flurry of blows, however there was no need. Phantasm was not here. We each proceeded into the room carefully, only realising too late that this was a very familiar scenario.

"Hello gentlemen, that was a very nice plan you had there, very _efficient_ " Phantasm's voice sounded behind us. He grinned, as usual, leaning against the door frame we had just entered through.

"Damn it you were ready for that…" I cursed myself for not predicting this. Natsu did not seem to care. He locked eyes with our opponent, his stance telling me immediately that he was going to leap up and strike him. I readied myself to support him with attacks from afar, however Phantasm held up his hand.

"Wait one moment, I wanted to say one last thing;" he laughed a little, "You two are the most obvious pair I've ever seen, tactical… or otherwise". We needed no other reason to strike; Natsu leapt up.

"Fire Dragon Wing Attack" Natsu shouted out as flames lashed out from his arms to strike at Phantasm.

"White Dragon Roar" I shouted in unison, calling up a ray of light to strike Phantasm directly. Neither attack connected as Phantasm faded and reappeared a few inches to the right of his last position.

"Pathetic" he giggled as he called up two spheres of green energy into his hands. " _This_ is an attack" he threw the spheres out to each of us. Natsu flipped to the side as the sphere aimed towards him crashed into a wall, I side stepped and tried another roar attack, which Phantasm blocked with a wall of green energy. _Not like I expected this to be easy_ I thought as Natsu and me returned to each other's side. "We're going to have to kick it up a notch" Natsu said to me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I'll go up front now" he nodded.

"Alright, be careful" I smirked at Natsu's caring thought despite the dangerous situation.

"White Drive" I activated my trump card. As the familiar white dragon scales formed I shifted my stance. Phantasm laughed again, louder this time.

"This ought to be fun, come at me with all your strength" he taunted. I accepted his invitation, my enhanced speed bringing me instantly within striking distance. "White Dragon Claw" I sent my fist flying out only to land on thin air as Phantasm shot upwards to hover above me with the same smirk on his face. I leapt up sending another fist flying, only to miss as he disappeared and reappeared near Natsu. _Got him_ I thought smugly.

"White Dragon Roar" I shouted sending a beam of light towards Phantasm. He faded and reappeared again. This time we hit him as Natsu sent a Fire Dragon Roar straight to his newly appeared form.

"Well played" he said. The flames licked at his sides but made no real damaging effect. "However… my body is no more, what do you intend to do against that I wonder?" he brushed himself off to emphasize this effect. I cocked my head.

"How about this… White Dragon Holy Breath" I shouted. As the light poured forth I shouted over to Natsu, who was already near to the door. "Natsu, get out of this room" he looked at me confused.

"Why?" he still obeyed me regardless, trusting my judgement.

"Remember the Games?" he eyes went wide as the light enveloped the room. Natsu fled further afield as I heard Phantasm giggle merrily. The light attack tore through the rooms walls and floor, sending me and Phantasm crashing down to the floor below. I collapsed onto a crumbled pile of rock, the stars now visible above as a large section of the roof had collapsed in. I had not used that attack since the Grand Magic Games, and I was a little surprised that Phantasm was still standing, the short fall having seemingly unaffected him.

He nodded at me. "Up on your feet, that was an impressive attack, but still not enough" I sighed. The spell had taken a lot more magic energy than I anticipated, however I was not done yet. I deactivated the White Drive to conserve power though.

"You really are a damned demon…" I commented as I stood. He bowed.

"If you think so" he replied. "Are you ready to die yet Dragon Slayer?" I shook my head.

"Not on your life…" I sent another roar shooting in his direction. He flipped sideways to avoid it.

"Sneaking bastard" he commented, "No warning or anything" I laughed mockingly.

"It's a fight not a dance" I said sarcastically, before lunging forward with my fists, only to phase straight through Phantasm.

"That won't work" he said bored. I smiled.

"Ya sure, I think it worked fine, got me within striking distance… White Dragon Claw" I struck him with my attack, paralyzing him in place instantly.

"Damned clever" he said with a grin, "But what do you think you're dealing with" I allowed light to enveloped my fists as I struck him with a flurry of more White Dragon Claws.

"I figured you'd escape from one so I'm going to cover you in stigmata" I said, as Natsu appeared at the ledge, jumping down to us.

"That was pretty explosive Sting, coulda given me more warning" he said as he approached. I held up my hand to him.

"Stay there, I'll keep him stuck like this so you can attack him from afar" I informed the pinkette. Natsu looked quickly to Phantasm and grinned viciously.

"Ya got him then?" he asked, not really needing an answer. I nodded.

"Yeah, so hurry up and attack will you" I couldn't keep this up indefinitely. Phantasm grinned regardless. Natsu became immolated once more, calling up ever growing flames to his hands.

"I'm going to finish this right now…" he focused his magical energy into a huge flame. It was bright and reassuring, kind of like Natsu.

"Hurry…" I groaned, the tension and exhaustion of striking Phantasm continuously making me increasingly weak. Natsu looked briefly at me.

"Alright, this is for Rogue…" he leapt up into the air, calling on a brilliant array for flames and aiming them towards us, "CRIMSON LOTUS; EXPLODING FLAME BLADE" he roared as the spell was cast. A surge of pressure filled the air as the attack exploded out from Natsu, pouring towards us, eating up the meters in seconds. I landed two final claw attacks then leapt away. "Holy Ray" I added to the attack. The torrent of flame and explosion of light both connected with Phantasm, who cried out for the first time in our fight.

Natsu quickly went over to catch me, holding me tight against his chest, as the subsequent explosion tore around the room and sent me flying in a twister of air and residual energy. "You okay?" he asked concernedly. I nodded.

"Yeah, did we beat him?" I asked. Natsu looked over to the place where Phantasm was crumpled.

"Not sure…" he said. We both sniffed the air, magic was heavy in it, both ours and his roiled about. _He can't have blocked that?!_ I thought suddenly. Phantasm then began laughing.

"I haven't had this much fun in a fight in ages" he commented, pushing himself up to a sitting position. His clothes were now slightly burned and his skin showing scorch marks in places, however other than that there was no sign he had just been hit by two powerful Dragon Slayer spells. "How?" I asked, stunned by his resilience. He smirked evilly.

"You've pretty much figured out then that only magic can harm me, but… it still takes a lot to actually _do_ anything. I haven't been this beat up in decades at least though" he rubbed the back of his neck as he stood up. Natsu shifted behind me. I moved to get up and he supported me with his arm.

"I thought I told you to be careful" he muttered. I nodded fatigued.

"Yeah, but he would've escaped otherwise" I said. He smiled once more at me.

"Well… we've still got a fight to go" he commented. I hardened my gaze back on Phantasm. _There must be a way…_ I racked my brain for ideas and came up empty. Phantasm became enveloped in green light suddenly. It shifted and changed before dissipating as quickly as it formed.

"Now… are you sure you don't want to die yet?" he asked, his body now completely free of any wounds.

"How?!" I barked out.

/

 **Natsu POV**

The light shone and disappeared in a matter of seconds, Phantasm stepping out from it with a whole new outfit on, and all traces of the injuries we gave him were removed. "Now… are you sure you don't want to die yet?" he asked as he took a few more steps forward.

"How?" Sting barked out beside me. I shook my head. _He's strong… like… Gildarts strong maybe…_

"Sting… stay back, you're injured" I went to push Sting behind me, however he sent me a defiant glare in response.

"No Natsu, I'm fighting him too" he was adamant. I sighed at his stubbornness, the instincts inside me telling me to force him behind me for protection. _I won't let him get threatened like that here again_ I thought protectively.

"Fine, but stay close, we'll attack as a pair" I whispered. Phantasm chuckled.

"Try it and see if that works, you're both worn out and weak, but I'm still strong" he summoned up another orb of magic, this one glowed a ghostly pallid grey. "This'll finish you both off" he stated. I growled.

"No it won't" I snarled. Phantasm shrugged and threw it, the ball tearing through the air. I raised my fists up, fire already forming around me and Sting to protect us. The ball struck the wall of flames I summoned and a battle of wills ensued, my flames versus Phantasm's sphere. Sting placed his hand on my back.

"Let me help" he said. He closed his eyes and a curtain of light mixed with the flames. The ball sizzled as sparks of magical energy burst out where it connected with the protective spell. Phantasm clapped his hands joyfully.

"Very good, let's see how long you can keep that up" he giggled before throwing out four more spheres. Each one struck the barrier, however it held strong. Sting groaned a little under the strain so I pushed a little more magic power to relieve him of it.

"Natsu…" he whined. I closed my eyes, however, a brilliant idea came to mind. I looked to Sting, who's face betrayed the weakness he was feeling and nodded to him.

"Don't worry I've got an idea" I said. He looked at me quizzically, however I turned my focus back to the shield. Phantasm smirked, but tapped his foot impatiently.

"When are you going to just give up?" he complained, "How many spheres' will it take?" he conjured up another half dozen, throwing each at the wall. I could feel the added strain, however there was something I was going to do and I would not be deterred. _The additional sphere's might help actually…_

I carefully threaded my magic power throughout the defense, expertly bending the flames to my will. I shaped and molded it so the crimson fire molded itself around each sphere, the light still acting to stop it from advancing. I could hear the increase in Sting's breathing as even more strain was put on his power. _Sorry Sting_ I apologised silently, as the flames engulfed each pallid sphere. Phantasm looked on, a slight amount of irritation on his features. I smirked again, as the flames totally encapsulated each ball of magical energy, giving me control of their trajectory. With a victorious laugh I sent all eleven spheres hurtling back into the general region of Phantasm. He dodged several of them, however three actually struck him; the first to his leg, sending him to the floor in pain, the second to his arm, crushing it against the floor with a horrific sound as it was twisted around, and the final one hit Phantasm square in his chest, sending him skidding along the floor and crashing into the wall behind. "It worked Sting, it worked" I called out. Sting smiled before collapsing to one knee.

"Good thinking Natsu" he said. I hunched over him.

"I wouldn't have done it without you" I said quickly, observing carefully his body to check for any wounds, although there didn't appear to be any. My head snapped up to watch Phantasm chuckle from his crumpled form.

"You're the… first person to actually redirect my own spells back at me, well done Natsu… Dragneel" he choked out, trying to slide up to a sitting position. "But I'm still alive… and still powerful…" I advanced on his position. I could feel Sting watching as my predatory gaze fell onto the man-demon in front of me.

"I'll kill _you_ now" I snarled, "You've cursed Rogue, threatened my guild… and _you hurt Sting TWICE_ " I grew increasingly angry. Sting stood up.

"Natsu…" he reached out to me as I called up flames into my hand, ready to rend Phantasm in two, "Wait…". But I could not wait, as I went to strike the dark wizard I felt a force all around me.

"Did you not… hear me Dragon Slayer? I said _I'm still powerful_ " Phantasm chided. A suffocating black shadow enveloped my form, snaking tendrils which held my muscles in place. Sting had jumped back, well out of its range, as Phantasm stood. He smirked as another green energy surrounded him and his torn clothes were replaced once more. I looked on in horror as once more his wounds healed. "I think it's about time I hear you _scream_ " he said, violence promised in his tone.

"NO." Sting shouted out, ready to charge forward. Phantasm scoffed.

"I'm done playing with you, you've forced me to use my healing twice… none other than Zeref has made me use this power as often in combat" he said, "I think as payment I'll take one of your limbs". As he spoke the black shadow coiled tighter around my waist and leg, I could feel it ready to crush my bones and tear my muscles so I braced myself for the pain, however before it could come I felt something else surround me. A pleasant light.

"White Drive" Sting called out, before moving at high speed to tear through the shadows around me with his light. "Natsu, get ready to jump" he warned. He then shot off to strike Phantasm, who just managed to leap away before Sting's light-engulfed fist came crashing down. "White Dragon Roar" he shouted, sending a myriad of rays blasting around the room. Phantasm gasped as one sliced through his shoulder and again as another narrowly avoided his head, leaving a slight mark along his left cheek. This time he didn't bother laughing or grinning or taunting, he actually showed his rage.

"Damn you… I will not be shown up, me an _immortal_ … by some lowly lizards" he said "I've lived too long, faced too many terrors to be defeated by the likes of _you_ ". He held out his hands in front of him. "I will now be executing you both… with your own _magic_ " he cackled sadistically. As he spoke a swirl of white energy built up in between his outstretched hands. "Claim their soul and their power too" he commanded. I sniffed the air suddenly, a familiar scent filling my nostrils. Before I knew it I was darting over to Sting and pulling him away, towards the room exit.

"Natsu… what is it?" he said surprised by my actions. I didn't bother explaining, I just knew I had to get him away. I threw him against the corridor wall, both of us just out of sight of Phantasm.

"There's no use running, this spell has a distance as great as my gaze, it will tear through any wall or barrier to claim the soul it is targeted for" Phantasm boasted. I growled deeply.

"How do you know that spell?" I howled "That is just like that staff". Sting looked puzzled, but sniffed the air. Judging by his face he realised what I meant. Phantasm laughed.

"You really think I _needed_ that staff?" Phantasm said sarcastically "That was merely a toy I created some 200 years ago, and I didn't want it falling into some pathetic dark guilds hands, so I assumed command of that guild after a little ' _display'_ of my power" Phantasm explained. My eyes grew wide.

"You used it just for _fun_ " I growled, "You hurt Sting just because you were _amused_ " I felt a tightness in my throat as I spoke these words. Phantasm laughed louder.

"Of course, isn't that obvious to you, stupid, love-sick Dragon Slayer" he chided. I reached breaking point. Sting looked at me with a worried gaze, I knew what I would look like to him now, however I _needed_ to kill this man, for him. I went to move out and strike at Phantasm, however I felt a hand pressed to my side.

"White Dragon Claw" Sting whispered, suddenly freezing my body in place before I could do anything.

"Sting…" I said in shock, trying to free myself with my flames. Sting shook his head.

"Charge out there Natsu and he'll just hit you with the spell" Sting said, "I'm going to try something, but I need you to trust me". I struggled as I made flames rise up in my stomach. I wrenched free of Sting's spell and tackled him to the ground.

"You aren't going out there either, I've already seen you lost to that spell once… never again" I said. I smirked.

"You think I want to be hit by it, no… I've got a different idea" he said. I cocked my head and he pushed me off. "I'm going to activate White Drive, then I'm going to use Holy Nova to destroy him, if he fires that spell against the Holy Nova, it will be torn to shreds before it can cause any harm" Natsu listened and then nodded.

"Alright, do it" he said. I smirked and activated my White Drive once more. I stepped out into the room, and Phantasm cackled.

"You face me with _that_ … I could hear your plan, nothing is kept secret from me… however… it doesn't matter anymore" he allowed the white spell to dissipate. "I've finally got what I wanted". I didn't allow him another word; I charged forward, white light covering my fist as I slammed it into Phantasm's chest. Another blow and another followed that, until Phantasm was being held right up against the wall. He grinned. "Enjoy that… it's going to be the last hit you land on me" he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Wanna bet?" I raised my fist once more however Phantasm faded away, reappearing at the door and grabbing Natsu by the throat.

"Yes I wanna bet… I want to bet you'll fight how I tell you to fight after I reveal my final plan to you" he said. Natsu squirmed, however he seemed to have been paralyzed once more by Phantasm's magic this time. "You've went on and on about how you are 'doing this for everyone else' or 'doing this for Rogue'… however did it ever cross your mind that the curse I placed _can't_ be lifted" Phantasm stared intently at me.

I was silent. _What does he mean?_ I thought quickly _Why is he saying this now, after all this fighting, why now?_ It didn't seem to make sense to me. Phantasm nodded. "I can tell what you're thinking… why am I just doing this now, why did I wait until now… well do you remember our deal?" I nodded.

"You said we'd have to come and fight you by midnight, which we did, or you'd claim Rogue through your curse" I said. Phantasm nodded.

"Yes, and when was midnight?" he asked. I thought about it and my eyes went wide.

"You mean…" I was frozen.

"He's right Sting" A voice said from somewhere nearby. _I know that voice…_

"Rogue?" I called out. Phantasm giggled.

"Since our little chat and the tolling of that bell I have been waiting for mister Rogue to come and meet us here" he said. I watched in horror as Rogue stepped out of the shadows beside Phantasm. He still wore the same clothes he had when me and Natsu left to fight the dark mage earlier. Natsu wriggled even more as anger flared in his eyes. Phantasm grinned. "Now it's time for the last part of the curse to take effect. Mister Rogue, you'll now _kill_ your best friend" he said. Rogue nodded.

"As you wish" he replied. I couldn't move, the world slowed to a stop.

/

"No Rogue… no…" I couldn't move at all as Rogue activated his Shadow Drive, black scales forming on his skin as I had been only a few minutes before.

"Yes Sting, this is it" Rogue said. I shook my head violently.

"It can't be" I refused to believe it. Rogue snorted in derision before grabbing me by the collar and throwing me across the room and into the wall.

"You're going to die Sting" he said disdainfully. I tried to get up but was knocked down by a blow to my back. "You're going to die, then Natsu, then the guild, then everyone" Rogue added.

"R-Rouge…" I gasped for air, the blow to my back winding me.

"Die now White Dragon" he called up shadows around himself, readying for one final attack. _This can't be happening… I wanted to save him_ … My thoughts turned black. Until one noise sounded out.

"Sting!" it was Natsu calling me. Phantasm summoned up black shadows around him to silence him, however his one call was all I needed.

"White Dragon Roar" I sent a beam hitting Rogue straight in the leg, sending him crashing to the ground and propelling him further away from me. I jumped up, my White Drive active. "No. Rogue was strong; he wouldn't go like this… I'll save you yet" I said with new determination. Phantasm cackled from his position.

"That's it, fight your friend… however the only way to stop him is to _kill_ him" he stated.

I glared at him momentarily. "Not if I kill _you_ first" I shouted, running towards Phantasm. Phantasm smirked as I was send flying by Rogue, who tackled me from the side.

"I'm afraid that won't work, Rogue will kill you before you can ever land another blow on me" Phantasm explained. I scowled as I sent a few kicks to Rogue, who blocked each with expert precision. _How am I going to get past Rogue and strike Phantasm down? I trained with him for years, I know his moves and he knows mine… it's impossible for either of us to get an upper hand in hand to hand combat… and I've used up a lot more magic power than him already._ I thought desperately as I tried to formulate a strategy. Each blow I landed was either blocked, or met by a blow to somewhere on my own body in response. _I can't beat Rogue like this_.

From my peripheral vision I saw Natsu struggle under Phantasm's grasp. He could probably deal with Phantasm whilst I dealt with Rogue, if he could move. Phantasm himself seemed to be too engrossed in watching me and Rogue trade blows to notice Natsu's slight twitching movement. _Keep trying Natsu_ I thought as I dodged some of Rogue's shadows. _He'd always been the faster one, but he could never land as powerful a blow as me so maybe I can incapacitate him if I land the right strike._

"Focus on me Sting, your _boyfriend_ should not be your concern right now" Rogue said. _He must have noticed my gaze shift._

"You can't blame a Dragon for checking its Mate" I responded with a cocky grin. Rogue scowled.

"I've always hated your cocky grin" he said as he threw a few more fists and shadows at me. I dodged them effortlessly and send a beam of light back as a response.

"So you haven't lost your memories then?" I asked him. _I might be able to get Rogue to fight this curse from the inside_ …

"No, I just realised the truth, you're nothing but an irritating waste, a useless and incompetent Guildmaster…" he increased the speed of his blows. I dodged a few, however one blow landed on my gut and I wrenched over in pain.

"You always called me incompetent… and honestly… I agreed, I was totally unfit to be Master, but I still did it because… I wanted to allow you and Yukino to do your own thing… and not be stuck in the office, doing all the paperwork" I huffed out as Rogue drew close to me. He kicked me over to my side.

"Shut up, you did it for power…" he spoke with a flat tone, however I could see wavering in his eyes. _You're still in there Rogue, I know it…_ I grinned.

"No, I did it for you, and Yukino, and Lector, and Frosch… I wanted to prove that I could be responsible, and change our guild for the better… remember what I said before I left earlier?" I looked at Rogue hopefully. He froze and I saw Phantasm frown.

"Hurry up and _kill him Rogue_ " he commanded. Rogue did not move.

"You said… you wanted to make a proper guild… with proper… bonds…" his eyes turned glassy for a moment. I looked on with hope.

"Fight it Rogue" I whispered. Rogue did, he wrenched over in pain, crying out.

"Damn it" Phantasm cursed, going to move in, however Natsu then burst free with flames. He landed several attacks on Phantasm before retreating a safe distance and eyeing him up with a predatory gaze once more.

"Sting… I can't… hold on for… very long" Rogue gasped, "Please… kill me before I can… fight back" I shook my head and darted over to Rogue's side.

"I can't do that Rogue… I want to save you" I said. Rogue chuckled.

"Incompetent… kill me and Phantasm will be weakened… since the curse activated… I've been able to understand it a lot more… he's feeding off my fear to… regenerate…" Rogue explained. I looked at him with realisation. _He must know there is no chance for us to beat him whilst he's still alive_ I thought _But I can't just murder him_.

Rogue seemed to read my thoughts. "Sorry Sting, it's the… only way" he said. I shook my head.

"I can't… I already thought I lost Lector once… I won't lose you" I allowed a few tears to fall. Behind me I could hear Natsu attacking Phantasm.

"Kill him Rogue" the dark mage instructed. I could see the darkness creeping back into Rogue's gaze.

"Sting…" he breathed out, "I'm sorry but… I'm going to kill you if not..." I allowed light to fill my hand.

"I know" I went to strike him, "I'm really sorry Rogue". I couldn't move again.

"Sting…" he breathed out a short chuckle, "I guess I'm going to have to do it then… stupid Guildmaster…" My eye's went wide and I grasped at Rogue's arm, however it was too late; Rogue used his shadow covered hand to slash open his own side. "Goodbye Sting… say to Frosch… that I did this for the guild and…" he coughed up blood "for my friend… so don't be sad…" his head rolled back as a dark stain spread across his clothes.

"Rogue!" I cried out. The sounds of Natsu and Phantasm's clashes died out as both turned to me. Phantasm laughed.

"Damned Shadow Dragon… couldn't do one simple task" he said. My head snapped around to him and I flew straight over to him, landing a blow to his chest and pushing him back against the wall. Tears streamed down my face.

"Damn you… fucking demon…" I cried. Natsu came up beside me, scales showing on his face too.

"Two Dragons left then…" Phantasm said.

 **End of Chapter 32**


	33. Chapter 33 - Finale

**Chapter 33 – Finale**

 **Natsu POV**

I stopped as I heard Sting cry out, both me and Phantasm turning to watch the White Dragon Slayer. "Rogue!" he cried, a few tears already down his cheeks. I could see the blood gushing from Rogue's side, the dark stain on his clothes. Sting had blood on his clothes too, I could smell it from here, the mixture of copper and salt from the blood and his tears. _No. He can't die_ I thought as I watched Rogue close his eyes, despite his situation he wore a slight smile, like he was content with this outcome. _I won't let him die… He can't die and hurt Sting…_ I felt the anger bursting inside me, a hot white flame in my chest. Then Phantasm laughed.

"Damned Shadow Dragon… couldn't do one simple task" he said with a cock of his head in Sting's direction. _I'll kill him… like he killed Rogue…_ the rage built up. I saw Sting's head snap up in Phantasm's direction at the sound, his normally bright eyes were dull, angry, and full of contempt. He had tears streaming down his face now too. Without stopping for even a minute he, in one fluid motion, stood up from Rogue's side and flew at high speed, landing a blow on Phantasm and pushing him up against the wall. "Damn you… fucking demon…" he breathed out. I came up beside him, aware of the scales now showing on my face too.

"Two Dragons left then…" Phantasm grinned, seemingly unperturbed despite the pair of Dragon Force Dragon Slayers standing before him. And we were both out for blood.

"Sting…" I spoke harshly, barely holding on to my human consciousness as my primal self-willed to be out, ready to tear Phantasm to pieces right in front of me. He looked at me for a moment before smirking darkly.

"I'll kill him… Rogue was my best friend… I deserve to kill him" he sounded dark, barely human anymore. I wanted to stop him, however I knew that he would do this regardless of what I said, so I stepped back. Phantasm laughed again.

"Kill me? You call me insane and yet you say such _stupid_ things as _that_ " he sounded so confident, that would soon change. Sting didn't give a response, he just pounded him repeatedly with fists of light.

"You… killed… Rogue…" he said in between attacks. Phantasm groaned at the impact.

"Damned… Dragons…" he breathed out, before phasing into the air. I sniffed around desperately, not wanting to let him escape. He reappeared near Rogue. "His soul… is still here…" he laughed cruelly, "I'm going to make him my slave for eternity" Sting's eyes flared as he sent an unrelenting blast of light burst forth to strike Phantasm. Phantasm quickly teleported to the side, narrowly missing the savage attack. I went to intervene and begin attacking myself, however Sting stopped me.

"I… kill him…" he growled. _He's given in to his anger_ I thought with sadness as I realised just how deep his bonds with Rogue were. I nodded and he leapt up over to where Phantasm was now.

"Stay away" he growled back, conjuring up five balls of blue-black energy. I spat a few fireballs, directing them away from Sting as he recklessly charged forward. Sting didn't both looking back to send me a thankful glance, he just struck Phantasm once more, but catching him before he flew off only to smash him into the ground.

"White Dragon Claw" Sting snarled as he paralyzed Phantasm for the briefest of moments. Phantasm choked before using his magic to reappear over in the air away from us both. I sent a roar at him, which he threw up a shield against. _He didn't move?_ I noticed questioningly.

Sting didn't seem to notice as he leapt up, propelled by light, striking blows against the barrier repeatedly. "White Dragon Roar" he sent a beam at pointblank range to smash against the barrier. It was deflected, however the barrier was shattered. Sting grinned wildly as he crushed Phantasm into the ground. "You really are weaker without Rogue's fear to feed you" he chuckled. "Rogue sacrificed himself to kill you… I will not fail him…" Sting said. I stalked over, wary of the dark mage still.

"Sting…" I asked for permission to get closer. He looked straight at me and grunted in acceptance for my request. "You gotta stop… or you'll never… return" I said this heavily, grave worry about Sting's mentality at this moment. He was teetering at the brink of human and animal, and if he committed this act I knew I wouldn't get him back. Sting snarled at me.

"Rogue's dead... I'm going to kill him, I've… got to" I held up my hand.

"Fine, just… let me help you" I said calmly. Phantasm chuckled and spat blood.

"Pathetic, you can't do this yourself Sting" he stated, causing Sting to kick him in the chest, eliciting another choking laugh. "Go on then… leave your little pest and… kill me" he urged. _I won't allow Sting to do this_ I thought. Sting rose his hand above his head, falling for Phantasm's words.

"Die" He growled.

"Sting stop" I commanded, he grunted and did not obey. "Don't do this… don't… leave me" I pleaded. He faltered.

"I'm sorry… Natsu" he said before bringing his fist down.

"No!" I cried out. Phantasm laughed maniacally.

/

"You actually did it" Phantasm commented as he reappeared behind us. "You killed me… sort of" we both whirled.

"You escaped" I said angrily. _He tried to take Sting away from me_.

"Yes, now I think it's about time I finished this… I've got just enough energy to do this…" as he spoke a green cloud of energy formed around him once more. He stepped out of it with another outfit, but the same white mask with a gold pattern as he had when he first spoke to us. This outfit was exactly the same clown one he wore on the first occasion we met him; it brought a dark memory back to my mind seeing it.

"Damn you…" Sting breathed, before collapsing to his knees.

"Sting" I cried out, catching him as he fell. "Sting… you used too much energy…" I said as he looked up at me.

"I'm… sorry Natsu… I know I wasn't… going to come back from that and I…" he caught his own words.

"It's okay, I know you were just going to avenge Rogue… and did you really think you were going to leave me that easily?" he chuckled slightly.

"Heh… I… love you… Nat…su" he fell unconscious.

"Sting…" I grew quiet. Phantasm giggled and chuckled behind me.

"Now one remains" he said evilly. I stood up after carefully placing Sting down in a somewhat comfortable lying position. I turned to Phantasm, my gaze dark and primal.

"You hurt Sting…" I took a step towards the dark wizard "you killed Rogue…" I clenched my fists "you caused Sting pain… you tormented Rogue… you…" I paused, after each phrase taking a step towards him. "YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!" I roared.

Phantasm stopped his giggling. "You can't do anything against me Dragon Slayer, I will kill you all here" he said defiantly. I snarled before assuming a low crouched position, reminiscent of an animal.

"I will kill you" I said flatly.

/

 **General POV**

Natsu assumed a low crouching stance, his teeth bared at Phantasm. "I will kill you" he said flatly. Phantasm went to speak, however refrained, even he saw the futility in talking to Natsu now that he had given into his animalistic urges. Natsu began by encircling his target, his prey, flames licking around his body. Phantasm raised his arms, dark green energy forming around his hands.

"I will destroy you and take your soul Dragon Slayer" he taunted. Natsu laughed a croaky laugh.

"Try it" he replied, before charging forward. "I will rip off your arms before you can even strike me" he said, leaping up with flames swirling around his hands. His face held those same dreaded scale patterns, his eyes burned with a fire as intense as his rage.

Phantasm deflected his attack with a plume of green energy, sending Natsu spinning into a wall. He breathed out shakily before getting back up and charging again. Phantasm attempted to conjure another plume, however Natsu was prepared for this and sent a searing fist into Phantasm's side.

"Ngn…" Phantasm spun, before catching himself and counterattacking with a kick to Natsu's leg that sent him sprawling. "I'm not done…" he said confidently. Natsu was up before he could finish his sentence.

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame" he called out, sending an orb of pure flame spinning towards Phantasm, who countered it with a sphere of his own blue-black energy.

"Spectral Requiem" Phantasm called out, not wasting another second before sending out another attack. At his command two skeletal creatures appeared, their forms similar to cats but with six legs. "Tear him apart".

The creatures obeyed, leaping forward, however they fell short of their target as Natsu sent flaming fists to shatter them before they could even lay a law on him. "Weak" he growled out.

Phantasm threw a dozen spheres of white energy towards Natsu. They were slower than his others, but far more deadly and significantly larger. Natsu laughed before blasting them with fire, to no effect. He raised an eyebrow before unleashing a roar attack at Phantasm and his spheres, in one sweeping arc he sent the spheres shooting across the room along with their summoner. "How did you stop them when you could only barely defeat them last time?" Phantasm questioned uselessly. He was becoming increasingly irate as attack after attack failed to hit the Dragon slayer. "I'll kill you soon though" he added, standing up, only to be knocked around by Natsu's flaming fists.

"Enough, die" Natsu barked. Phantasm gave him one last grin.

"Alright then… die" he threw his hands wide as an arc of red energy swept over Natsu. It knocked him back, however he grinned.

"Not good enough" he retorted. Phantasm laughed.

"Oh really…" he said, clicking his fingers. Red sparks emitted from his fingertips, before deep red marking engulfed Natsu's body, crawling all over his skin. "This is Soul Agony, a powerful pain inflicting spell" he explained, a cruel smile twisting his features, "It will cause you the most intense pain you will ever feel, then… it will consume your soul and kill you, goodbye dreaded lizard" he called up a red sphere into his hand, it barely fitted into his palm, however he looked at it with glee. Then he crushed it and Natsu started screaming.

Natsu was instantly doubled over in pain, the Soul Agony curse overtaking his body, inflicting burning pain unlike any he had ever experienced. It was like a thousand needles exploded from within him, a deep, intense feeling, and it was everywhere. "Agh… so… much… aghnn… St-" he let out a gargled curse as he lost consciousness.

"Ha ha ha ha… finally I won, although I admit you two were fearsome opponents…" Phantasm said aloud, before stepping over to Sting's body. "All that's left to do now is kill you" he said, wrenching Sting up by his hair, "Although it is a shame to let such power go to waste… maybe I _should_ cast the Spectral Devourer and take your power, hm?" he grinned cruelly.

"Get… the fu… fuck… away from my… Mate" Natsu said weakly. Phantasm spun on his heel, dragging Sting along with him, to face the unconscious White Dragon Slayer with the surprisingly alive Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Your still alive?" Phantasm commented, "No matter, you can't barely move so you're no threat" he sent him a dark smile, "And you're just in time to see me take your precious Sting's power once more, however he won't be escaping it _this_ time".

"No… you're going… to die now… and I… we… will do it" Natsu smiled.

"We? There's no one here but us" Phantasm said confused, his eyes darting around for another presence.

"Yes there's just… us" Natsu said confidently. Then a white light hit Phantasm's leg, piercing his flesh.

"Me and Natsu together" Sting said weakly. Phantasm looked at the White Dragon Slayer he had been holding a moment ago, who now held himself on his hands and knees. "We're unstoppable… that's the power of friendship… and love" Sting added before moving shakily to his feet. Phantasm clutched his leg tightly, the blood evident to him. He hadn't bled since the fight with Zeref, not once wizard had been able to exhaust his magic power to the point where he could be injured enough to bleed. Sting crawled over to Natsu and heled him into a sitting position, holding him tightly. Phantasm knew he could not stand up, could not phase, could not move.

"I refuse to die at the hands of lowly wizards…" he said, fear in his voice for the first time in 900 years.

"You will die as payment for your actions" Natsu said, "For Rogue" he glanced over to the still body of the Shadow Dragon Slayer. Sting and Natsu narrowed their gaze onto Phantasm, "Any last words?" they asked in unison.

"I… I am… defeated" he said. They nodded, before intertwining their hands, fingers interlocked.

"Fire Dragon…"

"White Dragon…" they each summoned up as much magical energy as they had left.

"ROAR" the twin attacks intertwined just like their casters hands, flames dancing in a crimson spiral whist white light twirled around in the center of the attack like a firework. Phantasm smiled as he threw up his last defense, radiant light engulfing his body and stopping the attack in its tracks.

"I will… not… die…" he said adamantly as the Dragon Slayers maintained their assault. The light shimmered and glowed as strongly as their attack, and ultimate battle of wills between two Dragons and an ancient demon. "I refuse that… prophecy…" Phantasm added as his shield shrank. "I refuse it… I refuse it… I-" he was cut short as the barrier dissipated. The fire-light combo tore through his body, rending a massive void in his abdomen. His clothing set alight, as his blood gushed forth from the wound, all his life disappearing from his form. Yet he smiled.

/

 **Sting POV**

I watched as Phantasm's barrier failed, watched on further as the attack tore through him, cracking the wall behind. His blood formed a pool around him as Natsu collapsed in my arms, breathing heavy and deep. "We did it" he said tiredly. I nodded, but allowed a few tears to fall.

"We did…" I said heavily. My gaze could not help but wander over to Rogue, his form mutilated by dark blood stains, the gash in his side showing clearly from this position. "Rogue…" I sighed, realising now that I was going to have to go back to Sabertooth and tell everyone what had happened to him, _I've got to tell Yukino he's dead_ I thought solemnly.

I could feel Natsu stir in my arms, looking down I saw his bright brown eyes looking up at me. He didn't exchange words, didn't try to comfort me, all he did was reach up with his hand, held my face softly, and kissed me. I felt his lips against mine and I immediately relaxed, although those dreaded thoughts still remained at least I knew one thing for certain; we had won and Natsu was still alive. As he pulled away he looked at me with worry. "Are you going… to be okay to get back to the guild?" he asked. I flicked my eyes downwards, not wanting to face him and admit I dreaded it. Before I could respond he raised his hand to my chin and forced my head up to his eye level. "You don't have to say you're scared… or you're hurt… I know… you don't have to hold you're tears… I'm here for you Sting" he said calmly and evenly. _Natsu…_ I was caught for a moment, before my body began crying. I had no control over it, the tears just fell and fell and fell.

"He's dead… and I couldn't save him… how can I call myself Master of Sabertooth if I can't save my friend… I wanted to see his face as I built a better guild, free of anger or hatred…" Natsu pulled me into a tight embrace, my tears falling onto his shoulder.

"He'll still see… just ask Mavis… she'll tell you he'll see it all from that place Spirits are, and he'll be proud of you" Natsu said, hand rubbing circles into my back. I pulled away and sniffled, rubbing my eyes.

"You're right… but…" I couldn't bring myself to say it. _I can't say that I can move on_.

Natsu smiled and managed to get himself into a kneeling position. "Come on… let's get Rogue home, he wouldn't want to stay here where all this bad stuff happened. I nodded reluctantly.

"Okay…" I said in a hushed voice. I wasn't really sure I _could_ get back to Sabertooth, much less carry Rogue there. As we stood we noticed a shift in the air, raw magic forming over Phantasm's body. We watched as his shape reformed out of magical energy, each of us having the same thought. _Not again_.

He smiled, much like his corpse, however he held up his hands. "Do not be afraid… do not get angry… please" Natsu clenched his fist tightly.

"How the fuck are you still alive?" he snarled. Phantasm nodded.

"I know it may look that way, however I can definitively tell you I am dead" he pointed down at his corpse. Natsu cocked his head in confusion, I took his hand, untightening his fist by force.

"Why are you still here then?" I asked, tired of this man's games. He bowed.

"I'm sure you're tired of me, however… there was one last part of my story I neglected to tell you before…" he took an ethereal step forward.

"We don't need to listen to you any more" Natsu said, motioning to go to Rogue's side.

"But I'm sure you'll find this interesting…" Phantasm's ghost said, "You see, I knew I was going to die" Natsu stopped in his tracks.

"What?" He barked, "Is that true?" Phantasm nodded.

"Yes, you see, about twenty years after my final transformation I met a powerful young girl amongst a group of orphans. As I said I trained many orphan children in the ways of magic in the hopes of getting into a good guild, however… she was different. She had the power to accurately see into the future, although only by glimpses. I trained her to use her powers, however when it came to us parting ways she refused to leave. Realising I was the only one who had ever not feared her I allowed her to accompany me on my travels for some forty years. When she grew old she wished to part ways, however gave me one last reading on our last night together, one final message" Phantasm paused. "All she said was this; _You will face death at the hand of two Dragons_ ". Natsu's eyes grew wide as I inhaled a breath. I could feel his grip tighten on my hand.

"So if you knew you were going to die by us then why did you commit all this… why did you let Rogue die?!" he questioned, obviously confused.

"I feared death, simple as that. All my life I had been able to see the spirits of those passed, however there wasn't one spirit I met without regrets, or passed agonies. After centuries of it I became fearful, to this end I feared all Dragon I came across. When the Dragon Civil War ended I thought I would be safe, however… I then realised that Dragon Slayers could also be the ones to kill me. So I killed every Dragon Slayer I came across, until you two showed up here I believed I would be safe, for Dragon Slayer were now hard to come by, let alone a pair… yet… when I saw your eyes, the clear signs of you two being Mates… I realised that you two may very well be the ones to kill me; and you did" he gestured down once more.

"That's still no reason for you to do all this to us and Rogue" Natsu remarked. Phantasm's shoulder's sagged.

"I know… I was afraid, however… I thank you now… all my torment and pain… all the suffering I have endured… I feel it as if it were a memory most distant… unlike the spirits of those I saw I have no real regret save those I have killed, maybe… maybe I will meet them now and they may seek the revenge and justice they deserve" Phantasm honestly sounded apologetic, however I did not accept it.

"It's good you've found peace… however I can never forgive you for what you have done" I said, anger still in my voice. Phantasm nodded in acceptance.

"I am aware of that… although there is one last thing I would like to say…" he began to fade, "I can still sense my curse… faint and certainly dwindling, but it's still there… tell your ghost friend…" he disappeared.

Natsu looked at me. "His curse?" he asked with confusion in his tone. It took me a moment, however my eyes almost leapt out of my head.

"Rogue must be alive!" I shouted. Natsu and me both bounded to Rogue's side in an instant. I held my head on his chest, listening. "Yes… YES… it's faint but his hear is _just_ beating" I cried joyfully. Natsu went to pick Rogue up.

"Good, let's get him to Sabertooth then Wendy can heal him up" he said hopefully. I went to help him but stopped.

"It's too far Natsu, we'll never make it in time" I said, eyes going downcast. Natsu stopped his motion too.

"We can't let him die" he said, "Wait, what did Phantasm say?" he cocked his head, before throwing his head back. "Ghost friend? Master Mavis please help us… MASTER MAVIS" Natsu shouted hysterically. I shook my head.

"Natsu it's no-"

"I hear you Natsu" Mavis said, appearing in a flash of light, "I hear you and I can help". Natsu smiled at me cockily. I was too dumbstruck to respond, Mavis on the other hand immediately set to work. "I can stop the bleeding and heal him somewhat with my magic, however I'll not be able to heal him indefinitely" she said. I looked at her as gold light emitted from her hands.

"What should we do then?" I asked her. She looked at us both.

"Do you know of anywhere where there is medical help?" she asked. Natsu thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, Acalypha isn't far from here, I can get there on foot quick if I use my flames to boost me" he said. I looked at him. _Of course, the doctor who save me…_ I was surprised by Natsu's quick thinking and memory.

"Alright, you have a method of communication between you, yes?" we both nodded, "Good, Sting will begin carrying Rogue towards it at a slower pace whilst I deliver emergency treatment, you can meet half way" we both nodded.

"Alright" and we were off.

/

 **About five minutes later**

Natsu set off at high speed towards the town. Mavis gave us both a slight amount of medical attention, so that we could carry out our tasks without hindrance. I had to slump Rogue over my shoulders, holding him on my back like a child whilst Mavis jogged alongside me, every few minutes we stopped so she could administer another small dose of healing magic, before continuing again. Rogue's breathing was slight, almost unnoticeable, however I could feel it against my neck as we moved along. After about five minutes we reached a small wood and I stopped to rest against the tree for a moment, Mavis hovering around Rogue administering more healing magic so we could move for longer without stopping in the woods, as we feared any attacks from Forest Vulcans or other animals would cause me or Rogue further, unneeded injury.

We stopped for only a few moments, however in that time I caught a scent that surprised me. "Natsu's coming" I shouted out to her. She had used her posers to allow me to perceive her via the band I wore around my arm as it contained a strong connection to Natsu. Sure enough my nose was proven correct as the eyes on the bracelet began to glow softly. I pressed my thumb to the face and thought of Natsu. "Sting, I'm coming, I can smell you too so we're probably quite close" his voice sounded.

I spoke into the jewelry. "Alright, we're at the entrance to the forest, hurry please Natsu" I said. He laughed as I heard the panting of another voice nearby to his.

"See you soon" he said, before his voice cut off. _Come on Natsu, I need to save Rogue_ I thought. Mavis continued her healing.

"I can't hold it much longer, Natsu will have to hurry" she said. I gritted my teeth in anticipation; which was quickly met by the sight I hoped for most dearly, Natsu running at high speed, his head drenched in sweat, as the elderly doctor ran up behind, puffing and panting whilst dragging a case along with him.

Mavis nodded at Natsu as he ran up. "Did I make it in time?" he asked. I nodded and held my hand out for him to take.

"Yes, you did perfectly Natsu" I said as the doctor joined us. Mavis nodded at us one last time before fading away. The doctor immediately went to Rogue's side, applying a foul smelling ointment to his wound.

"As if healing you up wasn't enough Master Eucliffe" he muttered, "And to think it was by the same person, I will want compensation, especially since I don't do house calls" he added.

I went to the doctor's side. "If you heal Rogue I'll pay you triple what you charge" I said, "But he's got to live, do you want us to do anything to help?"

The doctor's elderly face looked up at us sternly. "Of course he'll live now that I'm here, and yes there is something you could do, get out of my light, it's dark enough out here as it is" I smirked at the old man and moved away. Natsu wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed my cheek, trying to be discrete behind the old man whilst he worked away. He held up his free arm towards the doctor and immolated his hand.

"How's this for light doctor?" he asked. The doctor grumbled something that sounded like a 'thank you that's better' however we could not be sure, even with our Dragon Slayer hearing. I couldn't stop grinning as the old man continued his fussing, the mantra of _Rogue's alive, Rogue's alive_ running through my mind.

After a little while the doctor stood and wiped his brow with a cloth. "That'll do it for now, I'll head back and ask for the town members to bring up a stretcher, looks like I'll be having another guest. You two should rest here for a moment, you're not much better than he is" he packed up his case. As he went to leave momentarily he threw a bottle of ointment over to us. "Put that on any of your injuries and it should help to heal them up, if Rogue takes a turn for the worse try it on his side, it's not as effective a big wound but it should help until the stretcher team arrives" we nodded in understanding and went to sit by the same tree Rogue's unconscious form was leaning against. Natsu hugged me tight.

"We actually did everything we promised; we saved Rogue _and_ we survived" he said. I nodded and leaned against him, taking in his sweat-amplified scent. _We really did_.

 **End of Chapter 33**

 **/**

 **Author's note; Thanks for Reading! Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Oh… and there's going to be ONE last chapter yet, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to read it ;)**

 **/**


	34. Chapter 34 - Mated

**Chapter 34 – Mated**

 **Sting POV**

I looked down at the remaining paperwork I still had to do and sighed. _So much more before I go…_ I thought tiredly. I rested my head on my arms for a moment to think. It had been almost two months since we had dragged Rogue from the castle after our final victory over Phantasm. The Magic Council had insisted on speaking with us, Natsu and me; mostly just to reprimand us for destroying 'a priceless piece of history' during our attack in the castle. They really were clueless sometimes. Natsu had taken me back to Sabertooth whilst Makarov continued his inspection under the eye of Yukino. When we had returned to Sabertooth without Rogue she had cried out explosively, only ceasing when I explained that Rogue was in Acalypha, then she began crying for a whole other reason.

Me and Natsu gave ourselves three days 'to recover' in which we did nothing but _hang around_ his inn room and my private room at the guild. It made me smile to think of how relieved we all were that the nightmare was over. A few days after I officially came back to Master of Sabertooth, Makarov finished his inspection, giving us a glowing report, and me and Natsu had to be apart again. For a little while at least.

Rogue had returned after about 4 days at the doctor's house, his condition constantly improving. His first words to me when he returned to the guild was to 'get back to work and catch up on what I missed'; he really was annoying. When Natsu had to leave we agreed to talk every night through our bands. Natsu went on a few missions and often ended up communicating late at night, the only time when he wasn't busy, however it didn't bother me. Rogue always shook his head when he saw me waiting up at the apartment for Natsu to call, however he seemed to understand my plight, we're both Dragon Slayers after all.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a cough by the door. It was Rogue, "Come on, just a few more papers, we're going to Fairy Tail tomorrow remember?" he said with a smile. I looked up at him and yawned.

"I know… I'm just a little tired" I replied, before picking up my pen and filling out some more of the paperwork. Rogue shook his head with a slight chuckle.

"At the mention of Fairy Tail you always get 'fired up', don't you" he joked, I scowled at him.

"Be quiet Rogue" I said sternly. He came over to stand beside me.

"Alright, although I don't really know why you're worried about anyone overhearing, it's 1AM, there's no one in the guild… plus… you've got _that plan_ " he raised his eyebrow. I scowled again.

"I know, but still…" he was right, I was planning for 'that event'. "I don't want anything to get in the way of it, alright?" he nodded.

"Fine, finishing filling in those forms then we can get some sleep, some of the guild's already sleeping in inns at Magnolia, the rest will follow us up tomorrow for the inter-guild meeting between Fairy Tail and Sabertooth" Rogue said. I nodded.

"Alright, have Lector and Frosch gone up too?" I asked, the exceeds didn't seem to be around today. Rogue nodded.

"They went up with Yukino to get everything ready" he replied. I chuckled, besides Rogue only Lector knew what my plans were, so it made sense he'd head on early to prepare everything.

"Right, you can go you know, I can get home on my own" I said as I slammed another finished paper to the side, dragging another one from the pile. Rogue smirked.

"Is that the only reason you want me to go?" he asked. I shrugged but grinned all the same.

"Maybe…" I said cryptically. Rogue shook his head once more and patted me on the shoulder, before turning to leave.

"Alright then, just make sure you're back before 2:30AM at the latest" he said. I sighed.

"Yes fine" I answered, Rogue really does treat me like a child at times. _But at least he's still here to look out for me_ I thought.

He closed the door behind him and I pressed my finger to the band, thinking of the pink haired Dragon Slayer on the other end. "You there?" I asked quietly. I heard faint breathing.

"Yeah… just a little sleepy…" Natsu's voice sounded out. I grinned stupidly, I still loved it that I could talk to him regardless of where we were.

"Sorry, I'll make this quick… is everything ready on your end?"

"What… oh… yeah, I guess, Lucy and Lisanna know though" I laughed.

"Guess that means Mira does too… doesn't matter though, it'll still work out as we planned, yes?" I asked.

"Should do… Happy knows too, but I kind of guessed you'd know that" Natsu said.

"It's fine, I told Lector, and Rogue kinda beat me around when he thought I was planning something so he knows too" I could hear Natsu laughing on the other end.

"For a guy who was near death he sure did recover fast" Natsu said, I could hear his grin on the other end.

"Yeah, I kind of can't complain though" I replied. Natsu chuckled.

"I suppose that would be kind of rude… I gotta go now, Happy's waking up so I'll just sign off, I love you" I could hear the blue exceed's voice murmuring in the background.

"Yeah, okay… I love you too" I removed my hand from the band. "Looks like everything's ready then" I said aloud, before turning my attention back to the paperwork, "Just this left to do".

/

 **Natsu POV**

 **The Next Day**

I arrived at the guild hall bright and early, it already was filling up. Sting and Makarov had prepared an inter-guild conference to discuss the events of two months ago as well as progress for the new agreement Fairy Tail and Sabertooth were going to make to better relations between the guilds. Members from both guilds arrived at Fairy Tail, although there was still an air of rivalry about. The memories of the Grand Magic Games, and what had happened between our two guilds, were hard to erase, some people still held grudges. "Hey Lucy" I greeted the blonde as she sat down on one side of the guild, it seemed that each guild had taken to one side or the other, a division between them. Mirajane filtered between both sides, along with Kinana and Lisanna, to fill out drink and food orders. Makarov sat at the bar with a drink in his hand as he often did. "Hey Natsu, you're looking happy" Lucy greeted me as I sat beside her, I shot her a grin.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I said cheerfully.

Lucy smiled a knowing smile. "I suppose that's true... _do you know when Sting's arriving here?_ " she whispered carefully avoiding the attention of the assembled guilds. I shook my head.

"He called me this morning, however he said that it would take a little time to walk here, should be here in a couple of hours" I replied. Lucy winked at me.

"Alright, are you sure you are both going to be okay with this though?" she asked with genuine concern. She had been surprised when I told her what we were planning, however she seemed to accept it. I nodded firmly.

"Yeah, I'm sure… _I love him after all_ " I kept my voice low. Laxus stalked over to the bar, he had been eyeing up Orga for the last few minutes and I could feel a fight brewing.

"You two dating or something?" he asked as he walked over, the rest of his gang remaining in their positions near the door, "Only I'm sure I just heard you talking about loving someone" he smirked.

I shook my head. "No we're not dating Laxus, stop trying to spread shit. I was talking about our guilds and how we love each other like family" I lied. Lucy nodded to back me up. Laxus shrugged.

"Whatever, it's not like I care either way anyways… although if Lucy was smart she'd pick someone like me over you any day, flame for brains" Laxus taunted. I grunted angrily, whilst Lucy just brooded.

"Shut it Laxus, I would never pick you over anyone" she said. Laxus laughed and turned to return to his group as they made their way outside.

"Whatever you say… now if you'll excuse me I've got something I gotta do" and with that he left. I burned a hole in his back with my stare as he walked away.

"Stupid Laxus…" I said harshly. Lucy patted my shoulder and leaned in.

"Ignore him, he obviously doesn't know what he's talking about… especially since you know who you _like_ " she whispered encouragingly. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, thanks Lucy…" I stopped as I looked down to my wrist, the band's eyes glowing. "Oh… I've gotta get this" I said, standing up and trying to cover the band discretely. She nodded.

"Go check on them" she gave me a wink. I waved at her before running outside and turning the corner to disappear around the back of the guild.

/

As soon as I made sure there was no one there to hear us I pressed the band and thought of Sting. "What is it?" I asked carefully.

"We're almost to Magnolia, Rogue's going to head to the guild first and get everything ready… I kind of wanted to speak to you first… could we meet somewhere?" Sting's voice sounded out. I pursed my lips in thought before an idea struck me.

"Come to the place where we told Lisanna and Mira, it'll be quiet there and no one will see us" I said with a smile; memories of that time passing through my mind. I heard Sting's voice become more upbeat.

"Fine, see you there in about half an hour, okay?" he said.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting… I love you" I said.

"I love you as well _my little dragon_ " he responded. I chuckled as I took my hand off the band, it's eyes growing dull again.

"Alright, then… I'm going to get to see Sting again" I grinned at the thought. I grinned even wider as images of him popped continuously into my mind. I looked up to the blue sky, it was another warm and perfect day. _Just like that day when he arrived_ I thought in remembrance, _so much has happened since then, so much… changed_. I began setting off to the river and forest edge where I was to await my Mate-to-be.

/

 **Sting POV**

I entered Magnolia with a grin on my face. Rogue went ahead with the guild members that had accompanied us, he would create some lie to fit the reason why I stayed behind, whilst I wandered off to find Natsu. It didn't take me long as my Dragon Slayer's nose tracked him to the place where we first revealed our relationship to someone. I could smell his scent strong in the air as I approached, I grinned wider as I saw the spikes of pink just above some bushes. Natsu looked expectantly in my direction as I approached, sitting on the grass at the bank of the river, a great big smile on his face. "Hey" he said with a casual tone that contradicted the wanting in his eyes.

"Hey Natsu" I replied in a slightly giddier but still casual tone. I stood next to him and ruffled his hair before he leapt up and pulled me into a tight embrace. I was slightly shocked for a moment before I reciprocated the hug.

"I've missed you" Natsu said, squeezing slightly tighter. "I just wanted to go over to Sabertooth and surprise you some time, but I always heard you were busy and well…" I shut him up with a kiss.

"Be quiet Natsu, I know I'm always busy… but you still could've come over if you wanted" I said. He kissed my cheek.

"Sorry…" he apologized. I pulled out from the hug for a moment to gesture for us both to sit down together. Natsu did and as soon as I was on the ground he was already wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Natsu… I know you've missed me, but I still need to be able to breathe and so… could you… not cling on so tight" I said. Natsu laughed but release his grip somewhat.

"Sorry" he apologised again, "It's just… since our little 'plan' was put into action I'm… a little nervous" he rested his head on my shoulder and looked at the stream. I kissed his forehead and wrapped my arm around his shoulders.

"You don't need to be sorry I know you love me" I responded cheerily, "and I'm nervous too" I added. Natsu looked up at me, his brown eyes meeting my own blue ones.

"Then I guess we'll be nervous together" he said, "When are we going to tell them?" I looked at my watch.

"Err… the 'meeting' is supposed to start in ten minutes, so if we wait for a few more minutes then we can walk to the guild together" I said. Natsu nodded and turned his attention back to the water.

"Okay then… do we have to go so soon… it's nice to just be here with you" he voiced. I smiled and rested my head on his.

"Yeah it is… but just think what _else_ we've got to do" I saw Natsu smile at this. _We've got two plans; one public, and one a little more… private._ I grinned stupidly at the thought, the small bag at my side reminding me.

"I suppose we should get ready then, did you get one?" Natsu asked. I looked at him strangely.

"One what?"

"You know… _one symbol_ " he looked at the bag I had with me, it was small and only contained one thing.

"Oh, yeah… I got one" I said with realisation. Natsu chuckled.

"They say I'm the idiot" he laughed.

"Shut up" I pouted mockingly before getting up, "Come on". Natsu shot me a grin.

"It's time then?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, still nervous?"

"Yeah" he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and kissing my cheek, "You?"

"Well… I'm either nervous, or I ate one too many butterflies for breakfast" I replied cockily. Natsu laughed and we set off towards the guild hall.

/

 **Guild POV**

They all waited expectantly for Sting to arrive. Rogue had said that the Sabertooth Master had just to 'pick something up' before he came to the meeting. Members from both guilds sat in nervous quiet, just short mutterings amongst wizard groups, guessing at why they had called the meeting since both guilds had set out a friendship since the Games. Of course it had never been an official alliance between them, however the general belief was that Sting was here simply to form an official alliance between the guilds as well as negotiate with Makarov for better terms between their two guilds. Neither guild was particularly happy to be closely linked, however neither could deny that a strong alliance between their two guilds was both inevitable and useful. Especially to Fairy Tail.

When the guild doors opened the whole hall turned to look at the arrivals. Sure enough there was Sting, as well as Natsu, and Makarov, who had been waiting just outside for them.

"So everyone's here then? Good" Sting said to Makarov as he entered. "It's great to see you all again" he added as he walked up to the front.

Makarov stood beside Sting, seemingly uneasy. "Right… now that everyone is hear there are two announcements to be made… Master Sting, if you would" he gestured for Sting to step forward. Natsu seemed to hover behind the pair, paying close attention to what he was saying.

"Thank you Master Makarov, now… There are two things I have to announce to you all; Firstly… As recent events have shown us there are threats out there in the world that may affect individuals, or groups of individuals, from more than one guild. Phantasm was a threat, not only to myself, but Natsu Dragneel as well. He targeted indiscriminately, attacking both of our guilds, seemingly out of insanity, only to harm members such as Rogue in the crossfire." Sting gestured to the seated Shadow Dragon Slayer "We were lucky that me and Natsu were able to both defeat him and save Rogue, however… next time it we may not be lucky and there may be no one person to save us. To this end I propose a formal alliance between our guilds, one through which we can call on each other without a need for political reasons, one in which we may rely on each other as brother guild members. In my short time as Master I have endeavored to create a new Sabertooth, one free of the darkness we harbored in our past, with bonds strong and firm, much like those I have witnessed in both fighting and observing the Fairy Tail guild. I humbly apologise for any harm Sabertooth had caused your guild on our past indiscretions, and I hope you may forgive us so that we may prove this alliance an effective one" Sting paused and looked to Makarov, who smiled.

"What do we say Fairy Tail, do we forgive Sabertooth? Do you agree to this alliance?" he directed this to his half of the guild hall. There was a moment of silence, Sting held his breath.

"WE FORGIVE YOU AND WE AGREE TO THE ALLIANCE!" The whole guild shouted. It was one voice, one idea and it quickly spread about the room as the Sabertooth members also began chanting their agreement to the alliance. Sting looked to Makarov once more who sent him a confident smile. _You've done well Sting, to unite these guilds so quickly_ he thought proudly.

Sting smiled wide, before holding up his hand to request quiet. The chanting died down and as it did Sting grew increasingly uneasy, his gaze flicking back to Natsu for a moment, who sent him a reassuring smile. "I thank you for your forgiveness, and I am grateful for your acceptance of this alliance. I hope it will prove to be an invaluable bond between us" he bowed.

"What was your second order of business?" A voice shouted out, it was Erza seated at the front. She wore a smile of happiness, obviously invigorated by Sting's speech as the rest of the guild had been.

Sting cleared his throat. "Yes I was getting to that… Now as for the second announcement I would please request an agreement to be made right now. In the same hopeful idea that united our guilds I have another thing I wish to say, however I must request absolute confidentiality between all people here that it will not get leaked to the outside world, until exactly one week from today" he paused to look at the crowd. Makarov eyed them all.

"Do we agree Fairy Tail?" he asked. There were a few hushed murmurs amongst the wizards, followed by a quiet agreement.

"Yes" they all stated. Sting nodded and look to his own guild. They were equally as apprehensive.

"Do we agree Sabertooth?" Rogue voiced, looking around at his guild mates. They all nodded.

"Yes, we agree" they said in unison. Sting nodded, face even more apprehensive now.

"R-right… Well, this announcement concerns only two individuals… two members who you all know quite well, I'm sure. Basically," he looked behind him and Natsu stepped forward, "Us. Me and Natsu are Mates, which essentially means we're in love" Sting said bluntly. Natsu nodded and smiled as he took Sting's hand.

"Yep, we're Mates" he reiterated. There was a strong silence which descended on everyone, shock took about 98 percent of the room.

"What?!" They all exclaimed in unison. Sting smirked, there was no going back now.

/

 **Sting POV**

I looked out at the assemblage, a great cacophony of noise had erupted now as Natsu held my hand firm. Makarov stepped forward.

"If everyone could just be quiet a moment…" he said, before shaking his head. "QUEIT" he shouted, "Then Master Sting… er… I suppose Sting is appropriate in this context, and Natsu could explain for those of you who I'm sure have questions".

I nodded to Natsu. "We are willing to answer your questions" I said calmly, the presence of Natsu beside me giving me the confidence to speak.

A wizard rose from the Sabertooth side. It was Rufus. "Perhaps, Sting, you should start by telling us what exactly a 'Mate' is, ignoring the obvious reference" he was blunt for once, unusual given his normal 'bard' nature. I cleared my throat.

"Thank you Rufus, I can assume that this is a question many of you are having" there were a few obvious nods from the audience, "Well… ignoring the obvious meaning of the word a Dragon Slayer, basically, has one Mate for life and they are bonded, and strengthened, by their presence. Natsu is mine and so well… I will be very _attached_ to him" I explained. Natsu squeezed my hand slightly, his eyes showing his nervousness as well as his happiness that I was so willing to tell everyone this.

After a moment a hand rose from the Fairy Tail guild, it was Maccao this time. "Does being Mates mean that you two have to remain in close proximity?" he asked. I shook my head as Natsu answered.

"No, it means we would _want_ to be with each other, but we _can_ remain apart, so it won't hinder our work" he said, surprisingly level headed. A few more questions were asked and answered, and the wizards quieted as they absorbed all this.

Another hand rose from Fairy Tail, this time it was Lucy. "I would just like to say that I think this is wonderful news, that you each have such a special bond. I know that it must be awkward, for _various_ reasons… however if everyone here really has the bonds they claim to as a guild, then we each should accept you two together, right?" she looked around at the guild wizards around her. There was a murmur, however this stopped as Erza, Gray, Lisanna, Mirajane, Maccao, Romeo, Wendy and Levy all stood up. Happy, Lector, and Frosch all cheered and flew overhead.

"I agree with Lucy" Levy said.

"It's fine with me" Gray concurred, "And anyone who doesn't think it's fine can either keep quiet or taste a dose of my ice".

"Agreed, anyone in a guild should never want to pick on another guild member just for something silly like who they love" Erza added. Wendy and the others all agreed too. Soon more members stood, in agreement, and after a few moments, every member was one their feet. Rogue and Yukino had risen after Lucy's speech too and after a moment or so, so too had the whole for the Sabertooth guild. I smiled happily at their response.

"Thank you all…" I said, "I know it might be a bit 'weird' for you, however it will all be dealt with soon. As I had you all agree to this must be dealt with through the proper channels, and so in one week from now me and Natsu will be going to Era to speak to the Magic Council, who will inform us of their standing on the matter. We may act in response as we see fit, however… I can tell you now there is nothing going to break me and Natsu up" there was a cry of agreement.

Natsu leaned in close to me. "Well done Sting, now they all know" he said. I smiled at him.

"Yeah, but we still have one last thing to do…" I said. Natsu kissed me, short but sweet. I could hear a few 'awwws' already sounding out from some of the girls present and I felt a blush rise. _I can't believe they all agreed… and I got to kiss Natsu in front of them all too_ I felt giddy with excitement. _But there is still one last thing to do, and then we really will be Mates… forever_.

/

 **A little while later**

We walked out of the guild hall two hours later, happy and grinning like a pair of idiots. "Well… that went well" I said as I walked with Natsu through the evening streets. He still held my hand tightly, had not let go of it since he took it during the announcement.

"Yeah, that was pretty great… although I could have done without all the girls constantly following us around and fawning over every little thing we said or did that was about our 'relationship'" Natsu agreed, chuckling.

"You got it better than me, people only asked you about things like 'how we realised we loved each other' or 'how long we've been keeping it a secret', I had questions about rules and regulations and stuff like that. Plus, _you didn't face all those guild members which realised that we had told a few members and not everyone_. Man Orga and Cana were scary" I prodded Natsu in the side, making him giggle.

"I suppose so, but it's all alright now, we've told everyone and they all are fine with it… well… Laxus was being a bit of an idiot and Gajeel poked a little fun, but that's alright, so long as they weren't completely against us announcing our relationship I was fine with it" Natsu said. I nodded.

"True, it's nice no one was really weird about us being together despite the fact we're both guys" I said, breathing in heavily. The streets were not as busy as normal and it was pretty nice and quiet.

"Now we can go home and _actually_ do the whole Mating Ritual, without worrying about what people will think afterwards" Natsu said, brushing up closer to me so we were shoulder to shoulder. I grinned at the prospect of being mated to him fully. He saw my grin and formed one of his own as we started on the track down to his house. "Is someone getting impatient?" Natsu said, noting my slightly increase pace. I looked at him sheepishly.

"I just wanna get to your house early so we can… you know… get started" I said. Natsu laughed and started at an even faster pace than I was at.

"Alright then, let's go" he said, tugging at me to jog beside him. I smiled contently as I set off with him towards his house, only stopping as he pushed open the door and led us inside. We didn't bother sitting down as we both headed straight for the stairs, Natsu leading me by the hand. He stopped at his bedroom door. Turning and wrapping his arms around my waist. "You sure you're ready for this, we can't stop once it's started and as soon as it's done we'll be mated forever" he sounded excited, but at the same time worried. _He's obviously afraid I'll back out_ I thought. I threaded my hands in his hair as I kissed him.

"Natsu… I love you… I want to be mated to you, so yeah… I'm ready" I said confidently. Natsu locked eyes with me for a brief moment before he brushed his lips against my own.

"Thank you… Sting…" he said, before kissing me. We weren't nearly half as reserved as we had been a moment ago, Natsu immediately increasing the passion of the kiss, tongue begging for entrance. I granted him what he wanted willingly. We battled for control, our tongues sliding over each other. I pushed Natsu up against the bedroom door, his hands remaining firmly against my waist whilst I ran my fingers through his hair and over his abdomen. When we broke apart Natsu smiled warmly, a string of saliva connecting our lips still.

"Er… Natsu" I said after a moment, gesturing to the side with my gaze. He cocked his head.

"What is it Sting?" he asked, voice and tone showing his confusion. I sighed but smiled all the same, as I took the door knob and opened the bedroom door.

"We need to go inside you idiot" I said. Natsu laughed lightly. He uncoiled himself from around my waist and took my hand again, leading me to the bed. Instead of some frenzied kissing or other activity he sat on the bed and gestured for me to sit next to him. "I got my stuff, what about you?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I already said I got it, remember" I responded, kissing Natsu on the cheek. "So now we've just got to do the ritual and then we're… mated" I spoke quietly, leaving the word hanging on the top of my tongue, excitement, but still a little reservation, in both my chest and my voice. Natsu smiled.

"Don't worry, everything is ready" he spoke soothingly. I nodded.

"Right… so what's first?" I asked this already knowing his answer. Every Dragon Mating ritual was slightly different, however there was three parts to each that were always the same. As both me and Natsu were Dragon Slayer's we had to do everything twice, once for me, and once for him.

"First is the presentation" Natsu said. He got up and went over to the drawer beside his bed, producing a box, before resuming his place next to me. He was right, first each Dragon Slayer would present a gift to their mate in order to prove their bond was real, both gifts had to show real thought and caring for the other to count. Natsu grinned stupidly as he tapped the box with his fingers, it was small, green, with a slight design faintly on its lid. "Who wants to go first?" he said, voice evidence of his anticipation. I smiled warmly, there was no way I could ever regret doing this, not with Natsu.

"You go first then, since you're giving me that look I know you're dying to do it" I said. Natsu smiled broader and offered me the box. I took it and began to open it. "It's perfect Natsu" I exclaimed upon seeing the contents of the box. Inside there was a single ring; it was a plain silver band but had red engravings faintly around the inside.

"It'll get even better… I am the fire Dragon Slayer, so I had fire magic put into it, it will keep you warm even in the coldest places, and it can never be cut, scratched, or damaged. Just like me" he winked. I chuckled lightly at his self-given compliment.

"Thank you Natsu" I said kindly. My chest was all fluttery when I thought of him keeping me safe even without him being around. "I think you'll like mine gift too" I opened the bag beside me to produce an equally as small box, but this one was of a cream colouration with no discernable pattern or design on its surface. "Go on" I offered him the box. He giggled with anticipation, just like a child, as he took the box from me and opened it.

"Sting, I love it!" he blurted. He brought out the single ring that was inside it. It was a plain silver band just like the one Natsu gave me, however this one had three little lacrima crystals embedded into one side.

"Those lacrima contain some light magic, it'll illuminate the darkest places for you and just like your ring it will never be scratched, cut, or damaged. Plus, those lacrima may be used to send off a flare signal into the sky so I will always be able to find you" I explained. Natsu looked intently down at the ring, thumb brushing over the lacrima in their little pits.

"It's great Sting. Now you can light my way all the time, and help me not to be afraid of even the darkest places" Natsu said happily. I chuckled.

"I was going to say that" I said with a smile, before I threaded my fingers through the hair on the back of his head and pulled his close so I could kiss him. "I know we both had already agreed to get rings; however, I was little unsure of what to get for you. I'm glad you like it" I admitted. Natsu nodded.

"Me too, I didn't want to screw up and make a fool of myself in front of you" he said. I grinned.

"I love you too much to ever think you are a fool, an idiot yes, but not a fool" I reassured him. "Now, I think that we should move on to the next bit, though, then we can get to wear these new rings for everyone to see" I added.

Natsu nodded in agreement. "Yeah, although the next bit's pairing right?" he asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, but we agreed about this one already, remember?" I cocked my head slightly. Natsu was grinning as he nodded.

"Yeah, I remember. We're going to use the bands right?" he asked, I nodded quickly. Pairing was the 'point of no return' for Dragon Slayer Mates, after this they wouldn't be able to stop for any other reason, including attack from outsiders. Each Dragon Slayer had to have a symbol which represented their pairing to the other, the symbols had to match and each Dragon Slayer had to have some emotional connection to the symbols. Natsu had suggested the bands, since he loved them so much, and I liked his enthusiasm for the idea at the time, so I agreed.

"Right, we've got to put the bands in front of each other and hold our hands over them" I said, more to remind myself than anything. Natsu nodded and, somewhat reluctantly took off his band. I did the same and we each slid further up the bed, so that we could kneel face to face. Natsu placed his band in front of me, I placed mine in front of him, and as we each held our hands over our bands, our arms intertwined. Natsu sent me one last smile before focusing on the band beneath his hands. Each Dragon Slayer would have to cast a spell that they were taught at birth, mine was easy, since there isn't a lot of damage light can do when it's not used offensively, however Natsu had to carefully bend the fire to his will to avoid destroying the band, or the bed for that matter.

I concentrated my magic to my palms, emitting a small wave of light that overtook the band. It coiled around it and then sunk into its surface. Natsu did the same with his fire and then carefully we said the words. "I declare you my Mate, let this bond hold us forever, and this remain the symbol of our deep connection" as we spoke a matching symbol appeared on the inside of the bands, opposite to the faces that were intricately designed into the metal. "I make you my Mate forever". As we spoke these words the symbol solidified and the pairing was completed.

After that me and Natsu drew back, taking our bands back and putting them on our wrists. We smiled broadly at each other. "Well that… was easy" Natsu sighed with relief. I nodded.

"Sure it was… you okay for the next part?" I asked. This was the final part, and differed based on what type of dragon you were. The Sharing.

"Yeah, I'm good to go..." he responded. I nodded and climbed off the bed for a moment.

"Right then, you know what comes next, right?" I just wanted to be clear.

"Yeah, sharing… of the body and soul" he said, eyes flickering with mischief at the thought. I nodded, but remained a bit more serious.

"Yes, we gotta strip first though" I said, shooting Natsu a devilish look. He wasted no time and began taking off his shirt, however I shook my head. "Not like that idiot" I said commandingly. He cocked his head and looked at me like he usually does when he's confused.

"I thought you said strip?" he asked. I nodded.

"Who said for you to _just_ strip though… my little dragon" I made my tone dark and desirable, my gaze turning predatory. Natsu seemingly shuddered at the tone and obeyed my unspoken command, lying down on his back. I nodded once more. "That's better" I said, as I quickly removed my own shirt, before lying down on top of Natsu. "I want to strip you myself" I said temptingly. Natsu shivered again and nodded weakly.

"A-alright…" he breathed out, slightly more heavily than he had before. I leant down and kissed him softly. His lips against mine felt so right, especially given what we were about to do. "Sting…" Natsu mewled as I shifted to trail kisses down his jawline and then his neck.

"Natsu…" I sighed back contently. Natsu trailed his own hand down my back and shoulders, feeling around absentmindedly, whilst his other hand slid down my front. It was clear that both of us were hard, and really just wanted to get on with it, however I wanted to draw this out for as long as I could. I brought my face back up to Natsu's level and took his mouth passionately. After a moment of more heated kissing I broke us apart again. Natsu looked me up and down and shot me a grin.

"You're horny aren't you?" he said cockily.

I narrowed my gaze at him. "And you aren't?" I replied, tone equally as cocky. We had both expressed our longing for the other one over our bands several times previously, and this would be the first time we had been together like this since we broke apart after Makarov finished his inspection some two months ago. Natsu kissed me repeatedly along my neck.

"Of course I am" he responded in between kisses. "I want to fuck you so many times I just felt like walking all the way over and surprise you" he said. I stroked a hand over his head.

"I felt like that too… I was so desperate once it nearly drove me insane" I answered. Natsu grinned.

"Did you masturbate?" he asked slyly. I shook my head.

"No, it just didn't feel right to betray you like that, even with my own hand. Did you?" I wanted to know more than I realised.

"I didn't" he answered, "I felt the same as you". I sighed before turning my gaze predatory again and pulling Natsu up to my eye level.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's finish _this_ … then I can finish you" I said huskily. Natsu giggled slightly before nodding.

"Alright then… my sexy Mate" he laughed. I grinned down at him from my kneeling position above him.

"We're not quite there yet Natsu… not until we strip that is" I laughed, before undoing his belt and beginning to slide his trousers down. Natsu trailed his hands down my side before loosening and tugging my own trousers down. I helped him to slide his off, before finishing his work and pulling my own clothing completely off my legs.

"It's been a while" Natsu breathed in, "Since I saw you like _this_ ". I chuckled.

"We still got one thing to do before we can fuck, you know that" I said, "And all I really want to do is fuck you so can we just do the exchange and then…" I stopped, taking in Natsu beneath me. _Damn it he's right… it has been too long_ I thought.

Natsu grinned before sitting up and catching me in a quick kiss whilst I was distracted. "Alright… but do you have to make it sound so annoying, the exchange is supposed to be special, remember? Kind of like us making vows at a wedding" Natsu blushed slightly at the reference. I sighed and calmed down. _He's so cute when he gets romantic_.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Let's do this properly" I said, getting off him so we could kneel in front of each other on the bed. The Sharing was the last part of the ritual and would fully bind us; each Dragon Slayer would share his magic with the other to connect them for life, then they would seal the deal with sex to show the connection of their bodies as one. I had to admit I was excited for this.

"Do you want to go first? I kind of need a moment to get ready to share my magic, I don't want to burn you" Natsu said. I looked at him lovingly.

"Of course I can go first, but you don't need to worry, I know you won't burn me" I said to reassure him. He nodded to me to begin so I held my hands together in a cupped shape at my chest. I called up my light to pour forth from the tips of my fingers, it did so, then I bent it to my will, forming a sphere of light which I held in the palms of my hands. "With this light I commit to you the power of my soul that we may be connected forever" I said, somewhat mechanically. I then outstretched my still-cupped hands towards Natsu. He sat up straight, chest puffed out for me. I then closed my palms together, the light washing over my hands, which I then placed on Natsu's chest. It flashed a little more brightly at the connection and I saw Natsu's eyes light up in the most perfect way I had ever seen. Soon after the light washed over his chest, so I removed my hands, which still glowed and placed them at the sides of his head. "Close your eyes Natsu" I asked him. He smirked and complied, the light spilling around his head. Although that was not part of the ritual, I had asked him to do so just so I wouldn't blind him with my light. I then removed my hands from his head as the light spilled down over his whole head, then down his shoulders. The light connected with the cloud remaining around his chest, and like some luminous liquid, it began spilling over his form. After a moment Natsu spoke. "Can I open my eyes yet?" he asked. I smiled and nodded.

"You can… you'll probably like this, just be careful, it's pretty bright" I said. He experimentally fluttered his eyes, before he looked at himself and his eyes grew wide with wonder. "Sting…" he breathed. The light had enveloped his entire body and he glowed fantastically. I touched his face softly as I pulled him in for a kiss. As out lips touched the light began to fade, sinking into Natsu's skin to become part of him for as long as he lived.

"I love you Natsu" I said as we pulled apart. Natsu nodded, still a little awestruck obviously, from the whole experience. He smiled warmly.

"I love you too. Now I've got to do it" he said. I nodded.

"Yes, and don't worry… there's nothing you can do to hurt me, okay?" Natsu nodded.

"Yes, I'll be careful" he said confidently. I knelt up straight as he got ready. He held his hands, cupped over his mouth as he muttered something. After he was done a glow began to grow in his mouth, it got bright as the air temperature grew hotter. I could feel it as flames burst forth from his mouth to be held in his hands, a sphere just as I had done with my light. _Guess it's not as different as I thought_ I mentally noted. Natsu's face was a picture of concentration. "With this fire I commit to you the power of my soul that we may be connected forever, let it heat your body and warm your soul" Natsu said. He then, instead of outstretching his hands as I had done, crushed the sphere through the joining of his hands and he allowed the flames to engulf his hands entirely. He then formed a tube from his hands and sucked in. As soon as I saw his motions I knew what was coming; Natsu breathed out in one long, steady breath, the flames on his hands mixing with his breath and projecting forwards towards me. Despite the heat I had felt before the flames did not burn me, but rather engulfed my whole form, my body immolated by Natsu's fire. It was a warming, comforting feeling, and it reminded me of Natsu. Natsu finished his breath and sucked in air before shooting me a smile. He pulled me close to him, the flames having no effect on him whatsoever, they were his after all, and he kissed me. Just as my light had done as soon as the kiss connected us the flames began to fade as they were absorbed inside. I could feel the new heat within, a fire just like Natsu had building in my soul. It was such an amazing feeling I could not describe it. "Natsu… it's amazing… so warm" I said breathlessly as we broke apart.

Natsu nodded in understanding. "That's how I feel with your light, like there's a new brightness to my soul" he said, "But there's still one more thing…" he raised his eyebrows. I wasted no time as I pushed him down, my lips already connecting with his.

"I don't know how long I'll last after this" I said, "I already am hard as hell and I really just want to come" I added. Natsu giggled.

"I know you are, so why don't you get to it" he said, "it's in the top drawer", he gestured to the bedside table. I raised my eyebrows.

"You really sure?" I asked him, "You don't want preparation first?"

Natsu nodded, gaze showing his faith in me. "I know you won't hurt me" he parroted me from earlier. I smiled at him before opening the draw and finding a new lube in the top. I looked at him asking once more, which he quickly flashed me a look of determination. I chuckled before flipping the lid and coating my hard cock in the slippery substance, as well as covering a decent amount on Natsu's ass. Natsu mewled slightly at the feeling. "Please Sting…" he begged. I could not resist any further as I lined my cock up with his ass. He was laying out in front of me, whole body on show for me. _My Mate…_ I thought instinctively. That was the last thought I had before I slowly began to enter Natsu. Natsu squirmed slightly under my touch as I entered him so I waited once I was some way in. "You okay? I told you should have been prepared properly" I said. Natsu shot me a 'be quiet' glare.

"I'm okay, you can finish… or start I suppose" he said. I shook my head pushed the rest of the way, eliciting a moan from Natsu. It was the only encouragement I really needed, his beautiful music.

"Okay… fuck… Natsu" I said as I started moving at a slow pace. Natsu moaned out too.

"Sting... you can… go f-faster…" he said as I gradually set into a rhythm. "Ngn… gnnnn…" Natsu moaned out as I began angling my thrusts.

"Natsu… I'm so… fucking hot right… now…" I moaned out. "Your so… tight…"

"Shut-t… up… and fuck… me" he replied, sending me a grin. I pulled him into a kiss as I began increasing my thrusts even more. Our tongues slid over each other once more as I grasped Natsu's member in one hand, the other grasping his thigh tightly. Natsu eventually gave in and allowed me free reign in his mouth. When we pulled apart we were significantly more slick and wild, our breathing more ragged. Natsu hair now stuck at even more random directions after the turns of his head and the movements of my hands through it before. His body was showing a slight sheen from magic use and the activity. "Fuck Sting…" he moaned out loudly. _So perfect_ I thought as I admired him.

I thrust up one more time, more forceful than any others and Natsu's back. "FUCK... f-fuck…" he exclaimed. I grinned as I thrust the spot repeatedly. I was nearing my limit quickly and I knew that I had to make him come first. I still had my hand on his member, stroking it in time with my thrusts, however I gave up on that, instead thrusting and stroking wildly. "Sting… I'm gonna" Natsu warned.

"I k-know… ngn…" I gasped. I was close too. Natsu needed nothing else, his eyes rolled back and his head thud forcefully against the pillow as his come streaked over his chest and my hand, a little landed on me too. I smirked darkly once as I thrust a few more times into Natsu the spasming muscular walls taking me over the edge. "Fuck… Natsu… I'm coming too…" I said as I felt my seed begin filling Natsu's ass. "Agh…" I moaned, riding out the last of my orgasm.

After I was down I flopped down next to Natsu. We looked at each other our smiles content, and our bodies truly worn out. "That's it…" I said.

"…Were Mates." Natsu finished. I laughed before pulling him in for another quick kiss. He breathed in deeply.

"Guess I'm stuck with you" I commented, moving to clear up. Natsu held my arm.

"Don't clean up, I want to stay like this… for as long as we can" he said. I smiled, I couldn't deny I felt the same. So I settled for moving the covers over us.

"Here… put this on" I handed him my ring for him. He smiled brightly at seeing it and accepted it readily. He didn't even hesitate to put it on his ring finger, I did the same with his. I could feel the spell he had on it working immediately, faint heat moving out from the ring to fill my body. Natsu brushed his hand over the lacrima. I turned to lie on my shoulder, facing him. "I love you, my little dragon" I said. Natsu rested a hand over my waist.

"I love you too… my big dragon" he replied. _He wants to call me that?_ I thought, remembering his instance of giving me a nickname.

"That's what you want to call me?" I asked. He nodded.

"Don't you like it?" he said coyly. I shrugged.

"No, I think it's prefect, you the little dragon; my cute adorable dragon, me the big dragon; strong, sensible and always there to protect his mate" I answered. Natsu pouted.

"Talk yourself up much" I laughed.

"You know I'm right" I said, "but you still love me, right?" He nodded.

"Always" he grinned, "I've loved you since I first saw you".

"I know, I loved you too but was just too stupid to realise" I said. It was the undeniable truth, we were mates now and would love each other to the end of our days.

 _I love you Natsu, my you never leave me_ I prayed silently as I allowed myself to fall asleep beside him for what I hoped would be the beginnings of a brilliant, perfect, and loving relationship.

 **Fin.**

 **I would just like to thank you all for reading, and if you've got anything to say just PM me, or even better leave a review ;)**

 **It's been a pleasure writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it.**


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